FROM BIG CITY RHYTHM AND BLUES MAGAZINE July 2018 issue:Dave Fields: The Guitar Boss of New York City!
by Luke Woltanski

Pop quiz: what do you get when you add together a Broadway actor, a songwriter, a New York Blues Hall of Famer, a producer and most importantly, an energetic guitarist? It’s okay, this isn’t a trick question. You get Dave Fields of course!

Otherwise known as the Blues Boss Guitar man of New York, Fields is a very impressive guitar player. When he gets on stage with his guitar, he seems to become one with his instrument, and what a team they make!

“Whenever I get up on stage I get so excited to be able to play for people. I just have fun up there and try and pass that on to the audience.” His knowledge of music theory and practice truly shows when he has fun as well.

Going back in time to Field’s early days, he spent a lot of time with his father: the legendary Sammy Fields. Sam Field’s was a well-known composer and producer, as well as a piano wizard, who taught his son to play from a very young age. But, as young Dave spent more time with his father in his recording studio, he was exposed to all sorts of different sorts of music and artistry. The one’s that stuck most with Dave were the guitar players, specifically the blues and rock players. Their style and energy were something which excited Fields: so, he picked up guitar.

“I taught myself guitar- and I’m still learning!” A big hero of Fields is a jazz-man named Richi Hart, but he makes sure to note that his father was an amazing music teacher, when learning the ins and outs of composition and arrangement. Fields was proficient enough at age 16 to write a score for a big band.

It just goes to show that Fields truly has the spirit of the guitar in him! Watching him play live, I can’t help but notice how smooth his playing is. Not just that the timbre of his playing is perfect (timbre refers to the sound, or resonance a note makes: the timbre of a piano E is
different than a Trumpet E), but every motion his hands and fingers make on his guitar seems to be seamless, one leading into the other without any stops. This talent for playing the guitar allows Fields to jump intervals on his guitar that would not normally be made by other musicians: making his playing truly unique.

To show the world this amazing talent, Fields plays venues all over the United States, and indeed, all over the world. When I spoke to him in early July, he was preparing to head to Norway to play for the Molde Jazz Festival: headlined by none other than Van Morrison. Later
this year, he’ll be playing in places like Philadelphia, Byron, and Phoenixville. Fields does all this without a booking agent.

“I book my own shows,” he says. It gives him the freedom to find times of the year that work best for him and his band, and it allows him to have a personal connection with the people running many of the festivals he plays at.

Along with shows, Fields is a recording artist with four albums as well as a new one called Unleashed, which is doing rather well on the blues-rock charts right now. He handles production of other music, including Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine’s bi-annual mixers, and is a contributing writer to the same magazine. Field’s carries endorsements from several music instrument and equipment companies. The newest of which is the Fodera Guitars company that until recently, did just basses and their equipment.

“I have known the owners of Fodera for many years now. They recently asked me to represent their new Emperor electric guitar line in August.” Fodera is also making Fields a custom guitar… which is cool. Really cool. Chambered mahogany body with a quilted maple top kind of cool. Fields will be representing this new guitar line with his excellent guitar playing, which undoubtedly calls for a very high-quality guitar.

The guitar Field’s has been playing is a custom one, which he built himself from parts he ordered. “The neck is terra-wood fried from a company in New Jersey,” and the body is similar to the body of his custom Emperor guitar. But the advent of the new guitar may mean that this
guitar gets a little less playing time.

“I prefer electric guitars to acoustic guitars: the neck is thinner, and strings have less tension.” This makes it easier for Field’s to bend his notes, and to move quickly about the fretboard. “I have been talking to someone about making a custom acoustic guitar. I want it to
play like an electric though!”

So, with that, as I sat in my hotel room in St. Joe Michigan, Dave Fields and I began to end our conversation on his guitar playing. I asked him if there was anything he would have wanted to tell some younger guitar players that he wished he had heard when he was young. I
heard Fields on the other end say “oh boy, that’s a tough one.” He had a couple of answers, which I think best sum up Field’s personality.
He said: “I really wanted to learn how to sweep picking (Gambale), because it makes more sense, rather than string picking. I would have worked playing more with my fingers.” He also asked that the blues community doesn’t hate him for that, that style just works better for him. Most importantly, he made it clear that he was up playing guitar for people because he loved it and because he thought it was so much fun, that it ought to be shared with other people.

That’s the man, he knows his theory very well, but he also knows that playing music takes more than theory: it takes heart. So, why not share some of that heart with the world, eh? Take some time after you read this article, and this issue, to look up Dave Fields, and listen to his
live performances in his new album Unleashed. I’m sure you’ll find that you’ll feel the same energy that Fields delivers. Then, you can use it for your playing, or painting, or working, or organizing: for whatever really! And if you ever need more of that energy, take a look at him live, or listen to his albums a couple more times from his website.

BLUES MATTERS (UK)

by Steve Yourglivch

BLUES NEWS (NORWAY) UNLEASHED REVIEW

By Johnny Andreassen

5 Stars

A lovely trip

On the negative side of the napkin, we note that this American still has an insufficient force, control and wit in his voice. Like Irish Rory Gallagher, that’s not what his thing is. But then, one package is a package, Dave Fields delivers better and better content on his recordings in my ears.
He never stands still, the songs spread across a variety of styles within the same album. Some of them are recorded in the studio, many recorded live (with really good sound) and they range between a few instrumental shakers, a couple of dedicated avengers to big classics made with dedication and surprise, a few long deep blues in Chicago-blues spirit, and more powerful guitar performances that deserve to be heard by a blues and rock-interested audience.

Because where Dave loses his voice, he takes back the lost, and then some in the guitar game. He is like a Robben Ford who constantly strikes against hard rock, hard blues rock, and funky attack without losing the dignity of a bluesman in his soul.

He opens instrumentally in Robben Ford’s jazz rock / blues / fusion world with the excellent “Anticipating you”, and when the album is about to ebbe, he visits the jazz clubs again with “New York City nights” with some Charlie Musselwhite countryblues in the jazz event. He lifts the hat to Fats Domino and Chuck Berry on “My Mama’s Got the Blues” and shows that the 50’s r & b, blues and boogie woogie always get the floorboard to swing. He takes the Don Nix classic Going Down, made in countless versions of Freddie King, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chicken Shack and Deep Purple to name a few, and often used as an endless “concert Closer at concerts, which we included with the Supersonic Blues Machine last summer. I would not say five dollars that you could do it in any version you have not heard before, but this gritty version, sometimes out, takes a cake that makes me have to eat those words. So not surprisingly, he also fights with Jimi Hendrix classic “Hey Joe” and his Woodstock version of the American National Anthem with solid nerve.
This boy can do it on his guitar! I’m weak for this album. It just hurts. Like sitting at the restaurant to get dessert after dessert. He turns straight-forward blues rock like a young Joe Bonamassa on the “Child of the World”, makes funky blues like Bernard Allison can dream of it on “The boy wants to play” and fires with more funky nerve in the Lenny Kravitz- Animal Jagged line Pt.2 and heavier more late 80’s rocket nerve ala Vernon Reid / Living Color on “Better be good”. He is sometimes more a rockist than a blues artist without feeling wrong. “Jagged Line Pt.1” is very Steve Morse / Deep Purple, and he tapes the same little psychedelic British door like Laurence Jones and young Aaron Keylock on “How Am I doing?”.

As you will see, Dave Field’s has an impressive amount of styles in this album, and you never feel bored. It’s more a matter of stopping breathing.
When he leaves the album after 14 songs with an instrument song in the bluegrass spirit with “L.E.S. Hoedown »Like a Chet Atkins on speed, just let the smile come. For this, such an album you just really have to experience. Just kidding in that slightly weak vowel, because this trip is so beautiful that you just have to carry it over!

If you’re not familiar with Dave Fields’ body of work, his latest release, Unleashed, is as complete a picture of this outstanding blues guitarist as you’ll find. This 14-track set is evenly divided between live and studio cuts, all designed to give new listeners an idea of Fields’ talents and to give his fans a great representative set of said talents. For newcomers, Fields is the total package — a skilled songsmith, a fiery soulful singer, and a guitarist with few peers.

The live cuts are all impressive, beginning with the jazzy opening instrumental, “Anticipating You,” which finds Fields playing some stinging lead guitar over a smooth and steady groove. The guitarist also acknowledges his influences with an out-of-this-world interpretation of Freddie King’s “Going Down,” and a tip of the hat to Jimi Hendrix on the guitar legend’s “Hey Joe” and “Star Spangled Banner.” “Better Be Good” is a crunching rocker, and “Pocket Full of Dust” is a fine slow burner with a nice turn on vocals and guitar from Fields. The last live track is a bluegrass-on-steroids instrumental romp, “L.E.S. Hoedown.”

On the studio tracks, Fields wrote the poignant, but defiant “Child Of The World” soon after the Paris terrorist attacks. The humorous “My Mama’s Got The Blues” lightens things up a bit, and “The Boy Wants To Play” mixes blues with funk and rock. The two-part “Jagged Line” offers blues lyrics (from Fields’ own background) over a fierce rocking backdrop — modern blues at its finest. “How Am I Doing” is a straight rocker, and “New York City Nights,” on which Fields plays every instrument except for violin (ably handled by Gary Oleyar), has a slick jazzy feel.

As stated, Unleashed serves as an excellent summary of Dave Fields’ musical vision and his talents as a musician, singer, and composer. If Fields is not already on your radar screen, this disc should put him there.
— Graham Clarke

Wow! Just when you think the guy has done it all he comes out with a mix of live and studio cuts of originals and original sounding covers that showcase this remarkable musician and his band has even more to show us. He’s chose 14 fantastic songs to take the listener on a wild ride and demonstrate who he is– one the finest young musicians on the blues scene! Dave leans heavily towards rock but also weave jazz and funk into his blues in a remarkably cool manner. Joining Dave at various times on bass are Erik Boyd, Andy Huenerberg, Buddy Allen, and Chris Tristam. On drums he has Kenny Soule, Van Romaine and Dave Moore. Keys and organ are done by Vladimir Barsky and percussion/congas has Doug Hinrichs and Juan Pertuz on two cuts.

Fields starts things off with the jazz infused jumping sounds of “Anticipating You,” a lively instrumental where Fields’ guitar and Barsky’s organ work fuse nicely to the groove set by Boyd on bass and Soule on drums. Boyd’s bass solo lends credence to the jazz influences, and Dave’s stinging guitar sound jumps out at the listener to grab them and make them want to move to the groove. There is a bit of a respite towards the end with congas added by Hindrichs for good effect and then the cut whirls into a frenzied conclusion. Recorded live at Al Weber’s, the next cut is also live but from The Stanhope House. The classic “Going Down” opens to Fields’ big guitar riffs and provides the listener a rocking and wild rides with other worldly guitar effects and a strong vocal. It’s just the trio of Fields, Bryant (drums) and Huenenberg (bass) delivering a powerhouse sound.

“Child of the World” comes from the studio where Fields is joined by Soule on drums. Allen on bass and Barsky on organ. It’s the single from the album and pays homage to the terrorist attacks in Paris. It’s got a nice mid to up tempo groove to it and Fields’ vocals are gritty and authentic. Funky guitar and organ licks make this one a lot of fun! “My Mama’s Got The Blues” is next, featuring the gutsy harp work of Norway’s J.T. Lauritsen along with Field’s guitar and Boyd’s bass. The lyrics are humorous and depicts what’s waiting at home. Between baseball bats, guns, mace and a host of other abuses, this song just tells you to stay out all night and never get home. Fields does a beefy guitar solo and Laurtizen blows some mean harp here. This is a trademark Dave Fields song– loads of fun bundled with a superb sound!

“The Boy Wants to Play” gets funky and adds some cool backing vocals from Lis Sherman. Lauritzen returns on harp, Soule on drums, Allen on bass and Pertuz on the congas make this one extra funky. Fields and Sherman trade licks lyrically as the blues, funk and rock blend into a melange of cool sounds. “Jagged Line Pt. 1&2” follow. These two cuts have Van Romaine on drums, Tristram on bass and Barsky on organ back Dave as he sings the blues on a rocking music canvas. It has the feel of a White Album era Beatles cut blended with Metallica on Pt 1; Pt 2 takes the tune down a more subdued path with a slow tempo and minor key feel and then builds back into the frenzy of Pt 1. It’s very cool stuff.

“Better Be Good” returns to The Stanhope House show with a trio format. Dave seems at ease in this format and show, playing his heart out and nailing this one. The guitar licks are heavy and the sound is, too. Not for the faint of heart. “is another big, driving and fun cut. Dave show a lot of attitude in the vocals. Full scale, rocking blues done in Dave’s inimitable style. Recorded in the studio with Soule and Boyd is the next cut “How Am I Doing?”

“Pocket Full Of Dust” Recorded live at The Robin’s Nest with Dave Moore on drums and Huenerberg on bass is a pretty little slow blues with emotional vocals from Fields along with a more restrained guitar, well, at least for Dave that is. The next two songs hearken back to the great Jimi Hendrix. “Hey Joe” and “The Star Spangled Banner/Hey Joe Reprise” and also come from The Robin’s Nest Show. “Hey Joe” is a fantastic cover with some of Hendrix bells and whistles and some of Dave’s own magic. The guitar work is impeccable and the vocals are full of grit and guts. This is one of my all time favorite covers of this song. Next up we have some more emulation of Hendrix with some more of Fields originality thrown in. It’s not an exact copy of Hendrix in Woodstock. And then he closes with a reprise of “Hey Joe.” What’s not to like? I was exhausted after these two songs!

Dave gives us a special original next. “New York City Nights” could be a Sinatra or Tony Bennett number. Suave and cool jazz vocals, tasteful jazz guitar, expressive and fun lyrics and a slick but cool production. Dave really shows us some great chops and variety here. And it’s just a duo in the studio with Dave making all the band sounds and guitar and Gary Oleyar on strings. Really cool and a load of fun! He closes with one recorded live at Al Weber’s studio with the same foursome as before called “L.E.S. Hoedown.” It’s blue grass meets Dave Fields with more energy than ComEd and ConEd distribute together in a year. Cowboy junkie music because any cowboy in a hoedown would need lots of pharmaceuticals to dance to this one. Dave shows he can play with reckless abandon and have fun in so doing.

I loved this new CD. Dave shows us blues, rock and jazz with a lot of funk and all sort of other great stuff whipped into the mix. Dave’s fans will like this, perhaps his most ambitious album to date. Those new to Dave will hear what he’s all about and learn to appreciate what a great songwriter, guitar player, singer and performer he is. Surrounded by an assortment of great musicians in small ensemble formats, this is a superb album that will garner attention and recognition during the awards seasons.

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unleashed, from Dave Fields and it’s over the top! I’ve had the opportunity to review a few of Dave Fields’ releases and each one gets progressively more aggressive and wild… and that’s good. Opening with Anticipating You, Fields is surrounded with a great crew of musicians including Kenny Soule on drums, Erik Boyd on bass, Vladimir Barsky on keys and Doug Hinrichs on percussion. This is a super rolling jazz number and one that really showcases Boyds’ bass style and Fields fluidity on outrageous riffs. Excellent opener. On Don Nix’s Going Down Fields, Sam Bryant on drums and Andy Huenerberg on bass crack open Jeff Beck’s mix on this track and wind it up. Throwing every guitar riff know to man at it, this track kicks ass in contemporary style. My Mama’s Got The Blues has a cool swagger and cutting guitar riffs under the lead vocal and melody. Backed by Boyd on bass and JT Lauritsen on harp, Fields pulls out his slide and scorches it. The Boy Wants To Play is a cool Jeff Beck like track with encouraging lyrics and smoking hot riffs. This track is constructed specifically to allow the showcase of Fields on guitar and it definitely does that. Very nice. Jagged Line is a cool rocker with a heavy bottom. Barsky’s key work feels like Jon Lord or Rick Wakeman giving the track a rocky/progressive feel. With soaring guitar work and firm bass work by Chris Tristram, this track is heavy. With fully saturated guitar tones and a SRV swagger, Fields turns up the heat on Better Be Good. Blending and bending riffs with whammy bends and hammer ons, this track is a smokin rocker. Pocket Full Of Dust heads head on down the slow blues highway with guns blazing. Fields does most everything that anyone can do on guitar and does it in his own way. Want to hear a modern day guitar slinger do his thing…this is it! Rolling into Hendrix territory, Fields airs out Hey Joe. Retaining enough Jimi phrasing to put it in your mind but showing enough originality to make it his own, this track has new life as opposed to a rehash of the same old thing. Fields has great chops and terrific technique. Very cool. New York City Nights is a light jazz fused radio track featuring Fields on lead vocal and bright jazzy guitar riffs. this is an ideal radio track that also retains instrumental integrity. Very nice. Wrapping the release is L.E. S. Hoedown. This is a hyperwarp guitar instrumental demonstrating Fields ultimate finger picking work. Chased by Boyd and Moore the entire way and featuring Barsky on keys, this track is an excellent closer.

Boomerocity friend, Dave Fields’ latest CD, Unleashed, is the next installment in the evolution of a blues rock master and beyond.
Yeah, it’s that good!

Unleashed features seven live cuts that capture the pure fire of Fields live as well as seven studio cuts that expose his powerful, heart-gripping songwriting. If you don’t already own any of Dave’s work in your listening library, this is an excellent one to start with before ordering the rest of his catalog.
Like all of Fields’ previous CDs, you’ll hear a wide range of style, tone, and genre. He reveals his knack for jazz as well as gives honor to those who influenced his craft (hint: he does a killer Hendrix. Yeah, seriously).

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Dave Fields, he is a 2012 New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee; Best Self Produced CD in 2006 at the IBC; Mojo Boogie Award in 2010; and even had his song, Train To My Heart, recorded by the legendary John Mayall on his Tough CD.

Another stellar album from New York bluesman Dave Fields has hit the airwaves. Unleashed is a perfect blend of seven live cuts and seven studio cuts, each one bringing out the best of Fields’ outstanding guitar performances.

Unleashed takes off with a groovy live instrumental called “Anticipating You”. A terrific performance from Vladimir Barskey on keys, a cool funky bassline from Erik Boyd, and percussion from Doug Hinrichs sets a Stax-like stage for Fields to jam his heart out too. Using that Stax sound as s springboard perfectly segues into the next tune, a cover of Memphis-great Don Nix’s, “Going Down”. Tackled with a fiery intensity, Fields doles out a big fat dose of superb guitar playing. For Jimi Hendrix fans, Fields also gives a killer performance on “Hey Joe”, and “The Star Spangled Banner/Hey Joe (reprise)”.

In two-parter “Jagged Line Pt 1” and “Jagged Line Pt 2”, Fields offers a glimpse inside his own life and struggles. Beautifully composed, this pair of songs walks the tightrope between blues and rock, lyrically leaning more toward blues and musically taking the rock and roll route. I get completely drawn in to Fields’ lyrics on “My Mama’s Got the Blues”. This song drips with hard times and authenticity. Also grabbing my full attention is the lovely and carefree “New York City Nights”, a jazzy selection paying homage to the Big Apple.

Fields scores big on this album. Unleashed is destined to be a sure-fire hit release.

New York-raised blues-rocker Dave Fields is a perennial favorite of ours, because you never know in which unique direction his music may take you. His latest set, “Unleashed,” is no different, boasting fourteen cuts, a Duke’s mix of strong originals and ultra-cool covers.
Dave is the son of famed composer, producer, and arranger Sammy “Forever” Fields, and young Dave was influenced by the steady stream of big names that frequented dad’s studio. Dave studied at Berklee College of Music, and is proficient on numerous instruments. Natch’l fact is, on Dave’s ode to all things good about the Big Apple, the jazzy “New York City Nights,” Dave plays EVERY instrument except for violin, courtesy of Gary Oleyar!
That’s the fun of “Unleashed,” folks. The set starts with a jazzed-up instrumental, “Anticipating You,” and closes with another one that might best be described as “blues-grass.” It’s a rapid-fire twang fest entitled “L. E. S. Hoedown,” with Vlad Barsky on piano.
In between, it’s blues as blues can get. Check out the autobiographical “The Boy Who Wants To Play,” full of blistering buzzsaw runs and an extended solo. Dave’s favorites on the set were the two parts of “Jagged Edge,” the perfect blend of blues and rock, mirroring how Dave has grown as an artist.
We had a spate of favorites as well. He blisters the strings into submission on fantastic covers of Don Nix’s “Going Down,” Jimi’s “Hey Joe,,” and a Woodstock-ish “Star Spangled Banner,” all done in various live settings. On his studio cuts, you simply cannot go wrong with the seven minutes of slow-blues bliss that is “Pocket Full Of Dust,” and the humorous “My Mama’s Got The Blues, and I’m about to get ’em, too.” Everybody has a lotta fun with this one, and it features JT Lauritsen on harp.
Dave Fields and “Unleashed” also sends a universal message of love in the form of “Child Of The World,” written in response to the Paris terrorist attacks, and he’s truly on “a love crusade!” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.

Dave Fields follow since the days when it was still too well-known, especially in this part of Europe. Today, almost 20 years later, the situation has changed drastically. His new album, “Unleashed”, publishing house FMI Records released officially just today, on Valentine’s Day. Radio promotion does the Rick Lusher Radio Promotions and this is actually his contribution, that just today we have this exclusive promotion.
They are following Blues Corner is already very well known Rick Luscher, a man who me every now supply some new album, and it is always a surprise, therefore, eagerly expect its shipments. Of course, our cooperation has been going on for years and there’s no problem, it is open and always clean and effective. Rick and myself for years in their respective part of the promotional act and do, to as much as possible and better promote this music we love and to which we very much care. For this reason, the name Dave Fields, slowly but surely come up to this stage, when required, and when no longer “there some” already has its place and status.
Until a few years the name Dave Fields has not been known in this region, but as the years pass, as more and more intense this two-way promotion, this musician is gaining in importance, gaining frequency broadcast songs on the air and that is what we are all very happy. Consequently this Blues Corner, as an integral part of the music portal Soundguardian he did and does everything in order to promote musicians in it who need space for promotion and affirmation. On the other hand, it seems to me that more and more promoters, and record companies realize how important the Internet promotion. I wish that more of these web sites and premises to which more and more intensively promote blues music.
Fortunately, after more than 20 years of work at the radio station and more than 10 years for this online promoter of work created me some credits which certainly produce positive results. These results have occasion to read, but also to see and listen to the music portal, just as more of everything you can find out through the radio show “Blues For You”.
During all these years I tried to give as much emphasis by the widely known musicians and legendary blues masters and those artists who will become recognized and whose musical work and activities produce good quality and reasonable albums, but, here, for example, Dave Fields is a musician who is truly proof of all what I write. Dave was raised by his nanny Olive Nettles Still, and he repaid in a way that has become a person who deserves a lot of confidence. From an early age he started playing piano and bass to the less than 14 years dedicated to learning the guitar. He quickly became noted instrumentalist who began playing at various session gigs. At 16, Dave plays with incredible ease and acoustic and electric bass, well, pedal and lap steel, mandolin, drums and B-3 Hammond organ. His talent Dave took advantage of the way that he studied music at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Upon returning to New York deals with music in the best possible way on the fund, produces and arranges, and as the ultimate multi-instrumentalist playing in the studio with numerous musicians for various publishing houses. And if all this is not a piece of cake is the fact that during the tour, U2, “Rattle And Hum”, appeared in the eponymous film.
Sam album “Unleashed” is the embodiment of exceptional slušljivosti, a musical feeling literally forces you to repeat and play again. In addition, I am pleased that Dave fileds down to earth and his uncompromising gig won many fans around the globe. Personally, I believe that this global promotion of much needed and important, because as soon as these inspired and honest music and presentation reaches every corner of the globe, I am deeply convinced that they will always find someone who will listen to what it is on this album.
These new 14 songs Dave Fields knowingly supplied and does the and it seems to me that this is a kind of musical ode to his major influences such as Hendrix, Fats Domino, Led Zeppelin, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and others. From song to song Dave us as easily leads the album, whether it be the R ‘n’ R, the R ‘n’ B-ju, funk, rock, soul and blues. His extraordinary musical educational background of simply hides absolutely everything, even the smallest shortcomings. This time the team is as follows: Van Romaine on drums (Steve Morse Band), Chris Tristram on bass (Great White) and a genius of black and white keys, Vladimir “Vlad” Barsky. Along with them there are bassist Buddy Allen (Bruce Springsteen, Rick Derringer), Kenny Soule on bass guitar, Lisa Sherman (vocals), JT Lauritsen (vocals, harp), Sam Bryant on drums (Kenny Wayne Shepherd), Andy Huenerberg on bass Juan Pertuz (percussion) and Dave Moore (drums). This team has contributed to this strong and inspired album, which is full of excellent, inspiring music that the album gives both direct and excellent references. Personally, I am particularly supplying the great diversity of this album, because there really has everything from jazz through funk and soul to rock and blues. There are even live performances, which further thickened everything so inspired Fund and presented this truly great musician. And here is what about everything he says: “I believe I was put on this earth to spread joy, love and life to everyone through my music. I try to do that what every note I play, with every lyric I write and sing. If I do anything less than that I feel like I’m letting the listener down. ”
RECOMMENDATION:
The album “Unleashed” cannot be omitted and be sure to include in your collection. From personal experience, I know that you will be nice and comfortable when you can slowly, every now draw and let it just good and feel comfortable, relax and spend. In short, at the end of every listen, you will be very satisfied and happy. Do you need anything more than that?

Highly regarded blues guitarist Dave Fields rips loose a masterful collection of live tracks, originals, and cover songs in this excellent release. Dave’s arsenal of talents is on full display here, from the jazzy licks of “Anticipating You” to the gut-busting barrelhouse romp of “My Mama’s Got The Blues” to his explosively unique take on “Hey Joe.” Featuring a who’s who of talented musical partners in crime, this is a must if you are a fan of Dave’s, and a phenomenal introduction if you have not experienced his guitar and vocal prowess yet.

This coming Valentine’s Day, New York City-based blues guitar player Dave Fields will release his seventh studio album, Unleashed. In a career that spans writing jingles for the likes of IBM and Publishers Clearing House, working with legendary British bluesman John Mayall, and getting inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame in 2012, Fields is definitely making the most of his musical talents. And with an album title like Unleashed, he’s certainly building up some kind of anticipation. And I must say, Unleashed is a fitting title.
The album opens with “Anticipating You,” an instrumental jam more on the jazz side of things. It also starts what’s a regular occurrence on the album. Though he bills himself as a blues player, Fields goes on long shredding passages like he’s an 80’s hair metal guitarist.
If you want an idea about what kind of lyricist Fields is, look no further than “Child of the World.” The song is about having to deal with all the bad things currently happening in the world, like terrorists and people who have extremist thinking. And Fields says he’s on a “love crusade” to try and right these wrongs. It’s the kind of lyrics you’d hear from a 1960’s artist, but trying to specifically address modern day topics in that exact way sounds odd.
The blues aspects really come out on songs like “My Mama’s got the Blues” and “The Boy Wants to Play,” the former sounding like it comes straight from Memphis and the latter having backing singers and more of a soul/gospel feel, even if it is about a boy wanting sex. Meanwhile, the two-parter “Jagged Line” probably gives the best example of Field’s attempt to blend these varying styles together. The rock guitar, backing organ sounds, and blues lyrics about growing up with a hard life, gives any passive listener a good idea of where modern blues music is heading or what it’s trying to be.
Starting at “Better Be Good,” another song about trying to love one another in the face of terrorism and corrupt governments, the album suddenly transitions to a live set at a NYC blues club. From there, he makes his Jimi Hendrix influences bright as day with a faithful cover of “Hey Joe” and his own rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. It wasn’t a note-for-note recreation of the Hendrix version (I don’t think that’s possible), but he does make some impressive runs that leave any fan of shredding pleased.
The two songs that end the album couldn’t be further from the rest of the album. “New York City Nights” is the only real ballad here, with Fields switching to acoustic guitar and backed by synth strings. Meanwhile, “Les Hoedown” is easily the fastest song here. An instrumental featuring very fast guitar plucking that sounds like Jeff Beck doing rockabilly, with the drum fills and bass managing to keep up.
I have no doubt an audience for this music exists, for those who like frequenting establishments who play blues, roots, or Americana music. And if you do appreciate shredding and fretting guitar playing, Fields is worth a listen.
Key Tracks: Jagged Line (Pts. 1 & 2), The Boy Wants to Play, Pocket Full of Dust (live)

Versatility is a quality you can’t deny Dave Fields. The New York based multi-instrumentalist has a multitude of styles in his fingers that others can only dream of. Dave’s father, Sammy Fields is a respected composer, arranger and producer and Dave more or less grew up in his studio, where he witnessed people like Stevie Wonder and Rupert Holmes. After studying at the Berklee College of Music Dave himself became a valued musician, composer, arranger and producer. Besides the piano (his first instrument) he also masters guitar, bass and drums.

“Unleashed” is his seventh album, on which he shows his versatility in fourteen songs. We hear blues, blues rock, jazz fusion, and even bluegrass. Ten of them are self written. Half of the songs are recorded live. In the liner notes it says that Dave Fields plays all guitars, vocals, bass, drums and keyboards “except where noted”. And believe me, with musicians like Van Romaine, Chris Tristram, JT Lauritsen and Vladimir Barsky, just to name a few, this is really no problem. In the jazzy “New York Nights” he plays, apart from the strings (by Gary Oleyar), everything himself. The CD starts with “Anticipating You,” jazz fusion of the highest order. The blues is best in “My Mama’s Got The Blues,” “The Boy Wants To Play” and “Better Be Good”. In the double song “Jagged Line” we hear how Dave knows how to mix different styles. “Hey Joe” and “Star Spangled Banner / Hey Joe (Reprise)” are a nice tribute to Jimi Hendrix. After twelve forceful songs the album closes with the aforementioned ballad “New York Nights” and the blazing bluegrass fingerpicking Jeff-Beck-meets-Albert Lee “L.E.S. How down”.

An excellent CD. well made, exciting, varied. For people outside the mainstream blues and blues rock paths “Unleashed” is absolutely recommended. (8.5/10)

Dave Fields grew up in NYC as a son of the gifted composer/arranger Sammy “Forever” Fields. As a child was Dave often found in the recording studio of his father where he came into contact
with musicians such as Sammy Kahn, Rupert Holmes and Stevie Wonder. His nanny who Waycross Georgia was, took care of what cultural Southern influences in Dave’s personality. Because his sister
Laura, who is also a gifted musician, as she was fourteen by a strange twist of fate her hearing lose, Dave’s a mission to go to people to listen and to communicate through music. Dave’s gift of
“making his guitar talk” and to combine styles music, are an example of the multi cultural diversity in humans. Living in the melting pot of NYC fits perfectly at Dave’s personal attitude. Dave’s musical road is a long journey … Dave graduated from the Berklee College of Music and in the NYC music scene was initially a “first call” guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Dave decision in 2006 to work at a private career. He had already produced gebackt and many others, but now it
was time for themselves. In 2012 is Dave Fields nominated in the NY Blues Hall of Fame, along with John Hammond and Gary S Bonds. John Mayall covert on his album ‘ Tough ‘ [2009] Dave’s song
“Train To My Heart”. From 2007 to 2012 brought Dave Fields four albums and his new album ‘ Unleashed ‘ is a logical successor to ‘ All In ‘ [2014]. The album features fourteen tracks, twelve original and, of which seven live and seven in the studio. The fourteen songs showcase of course Dave’s musical diversity. There is bv. his jazzy side in the live version of the instrumental opener “Anticipating You” and in “NYC Nights” (Dave hieropbespeelt all instruments
-except the violin: Gary Oleyar and he demonstrates his talents as a multi-instrumenatlist) and, there is bv. are country/bluegrass side in the valve “L.E.S. Hoedown”. The covers are the famous Don Nix ‘ song “Going Down” (that he live with drummer Sam Bryant and
bassist Andy Huenenberg) and Jimi Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner/Hey Joe (reprise)”. In addition, Dave also brings some of his classics like a live version of “Better Be Good” and the live slow
blues “Pocket Full Of Dust”. About “Jagged Line Pt1 & 2” said Dave itself that both tracks going about his childhood:”It’s a window into how I grew up. The lyrics are blues, the music is rock. I’m so excited to have recorded it with of Romaine on drums (Steve Morse Band), Chris Tristram on bass (Great White) and the keyboard genius, Vlad Barsky on organ … ”

On “Child Of the World”, which was released as a promo single, we hear drummer Kenny Soule, bassist Buddy Allen (Bruce Springsteen, Rick Derringer) and (again) Vladimir Barsky. The number, a call for
more lamb, is written after the terroritische attacks in Paris. The other musicians are Lisa Sherman (vocals: “The Boys Want To Play”), Juan Pertuz (percussion: “My Mama’s Got the Blues”), Dave Moore (drums), J.T. Lauritsen (harp: “The Boys Want To Play”) and Erik Boyd (bass: “How Am I Doing?”). A unleashed Dave Fields you could set after listening to field’s new album. ‘ Unleashed is again a proof of Dave Fields ‘ musical genius as a singer-songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist. “Well I come home from gigging at 4 am, guitar on my shoulder, amp on my hip/Smelling like cigars, whiskey on my breath/she’s looking at me like she’s the Angel of Death/
she’s got the Blues and in a minute I’m gonna have them too! … “(” My Mama’s Got the Blues “)Eric Schuurmans

MIDWEST RECORDS UNLEASHED Review
By Chris Spector Midwest Records

DAVE FIELDS/Unleashed: He might fancy himself as a blues rocker, but this guitar slinger has the chops and know how to deliver the hits to all fields. Falling distinctly somewhere between bombast and lightweight, Fields does much more than dazzle with rapid scale runs by showing he knows how to coax great sounds from his ax. This is how it was once at the Fillmore before all the cats could afford coke and think some noodling half hour jam that didn’t go anywhere was profound. Powered by bring the kind of date where the music itself is the drug, you can really get real high on the tunes this cat kicks out. Well done.http://www.midwestrecord.com/MWR1179.html

Dave Fields and gang don’t waste any time throwing down. Track one, the instrumental “Anticipating You,” commandeers the beat to Prince’s “You Sexy MotherF*cker.” and pumps it chock full of steroids. Everybody gets a go at wacking the pinata on this one! Of course, I’m partial to Erik Boyd’s bass solo. “Going Down,” recorded live in NJ, amplifies the beat and pummels the crap out of this time-honored Blues. Eddie Van Halen lesson well learned! Fields and company go all Zeppelin on the two “Jagged Line” tracks. Heavy like an elephant sitting on your chest. Dig the phase-shifted vocals. They continue their incursion into Zep territory with the bombastic, live, slow Blues of “Pocket Full of Dust.” Fields moves on from Jimmy Page to Jimi Hendrix with live versions of “Hey Joe” and “The Star Spangled Banner.” Just when you thought no one could add anything to the national anthem, Fields’ solo rocks it out of the park!

But it’s not all sledgehammer here. Plenty of good humor and sunshine brighten the Blues. The Zappaesque “L.E.S. Hoedown” takes a country two-beat and jacks the speed up to Thrash level. The light-hearted, airy bounce of “NY City Nights” reminisces about hanging with your lady out and about in Manhattan. “The Boy Wants to Play” funks up the mood and delivers a more intimate engagement. “Child of the World” battles the rampant ugliness of our times. “I’m a child of the world on a love crusade.” On “Mama’s Got the Blues,” Fields knows what he’s in for. “Well I come home from gigging at 4am, guitar on my shoulder, amp on my hip. Smelling like cigars, whiskey on my breath. She’s looking at me like she’s the Angel of Death. She’s got the Blues and in a minute I’m gonna have them too!”

Most people only succeed in the music business when they shuck the jive they believe the industry demands and instead reveal their inner self. Truth sells! Or does it?

In 2014, I had the pleasure of having Dave Fields agree to play at a fundraiser to acquire a headstone for 1920s blues diva Mamie Smith, whose “Crazy Blues” in 1920 integrated the music recording industry. Having never heard Dave play before, I was amazed at his guitar prowess, songwriting, and charismatic stage presence. You should have seen the audience rock when this unassuming-looking player took the stage and plugged in. Yowza.
Field’s current CD, All In, has become one of a small number of CDs that rotate in my CD driving collection as the album takes repeated listening and offers the listener new surprises upon each spin. One round, the percussion intrigues; on another play, it’s Field’s driving guitar/vocal combo, and overall, the songwriting tells you you’re listening to an all-around pro performer and producer.
All In features nine original Fields compositions, and two surprise covers, Fields’s reinterpretations of Led Zep’s “Black Dog” and a murderously fun version of the classic, “Cross Road.” Joining Fields on All In are personnel who have played with him on three previous albums – Andy Huenerberg on bass and Kenny Soule on drums, while Vladimir Barsky ratchets things up onkeyboard on a number of tracks. Soule’s aggressive drumming opens up a number of tracks, whetting the appetite for the imminent vocal/guitar reworks that Fields manages to ignite on almost every track.
Outstanding tracks, in addition to the covers, include the heavy blues rocking “Voodoo Eyes” and “Wake Up Jasper,” with an opening guitar/ percussion kick that recalls the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues.” On “Wake Up Jasper,” Fields lets it all hang out with some heavy duty vocals, tasteful single string riffs, and straight-ahead lead guitar that segues into “Black Dog.” “That’s All Right” is another track that demonstrates Fields’s professional combo of writing and performing. The album’s eleventh and nal track is a relatively easy- listening ditty titled “Lover’s Holiday,” that lets the listener down easy with an upbeat, rhythmic love song featuring nger snapping rhythms and harmony singing that brings this exciting trip of an album full circle. The wah-wah pedal is a nice retro touch.
This is an upbeat powerhouse of an album, which might be pigeonholed ads blues-rock, but with a substantially gritty blues leitmotif that lifts this album from a mere display of rock prowess into a well-sequenced, powerfully performed, heavily blues in ected instant classic that will stand among Field’s best work. It’s Field’s driving, insistent lead guitar playing and sweet, yet gritty, tenor voice that grab the listener. The unique guitar licks, straight-ahead powerhouse playing and concomitant artistic subtlety – he knows how ensemble playing should work – making this album a real keeper. – Michael Cala

♥BLUES MATTERS.COM “ALL IN” REVIEW
By Adrian Blacklee

Dave Fields has a wonderful musical pedigree across several genres and his career has already seen him get inducted into the New York Blues Hall Of Fame and win the best independent blues album in 2006 with Roxy Perry’s Back In Bluesville release, it is only recently that he has decided to push forward and concentrate on his own musical career.

This album kicks off with high octane doses of rocking blues with Dave demonstrating he is a notable ‘Guitar Slingers’, when you consider his additional talents of song writer, vocalist and producer you can see he really is a stand out artist. The supporting musicians cover the key rhythm areas with everything else left to Dave to weave his magic, two tracks worthy of mention are songs that are probably not strong blues themed ones but have aspects that highlight Dave’s versatility: Dragon Fly which has progressive mystical undertones with a slow guitar led intro and Lovers Holiday which is an acoustic unplugged raw love song performed solo, one of two covers is Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog which was recorded live in Norway with local musicians and is given a unique re-working, the guitar work is exceptional.

While being predominately a rocking blues album there is plenty of variety on show here highlighting that not only is Dave Fields a quality musician but he is prepared to stretch the blues boundaries and not be constrained by them.

All In, the latest release from New York City bluesman Dave Fields, is a great guitar-centric album to settle in with, for a good listen. The songs are fresh, and Field’s guitar playing is magnificent. He not only plays all instruments on most of the eleven tracks, he produced the album as well.

Fields ushers the listener into the album like a lion, with a ferocious guitar intro and no-nonsense blues in “Changes In My Life”. More of the same bluesy goodness can be found on “Wake Up Jasper”. Fields tackles Robert Johnson’s “Crossroad” in a more gritty nature than usual, and breathes new life into this timeless tale of regret and damnation. One can feel the raw energy surging through the guitar as he plays. Fields then takes Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”, flips it one hundred eighty degrees, and turns it into a fun danceable number with an infusion of funk.

Two other favorites include, “Voodoo Eyes”, and “Dragonfly”. Infectious grooves and soulful guitar licks accompanied by Vladamir Barsky on organ give “Voodoo Eyes” a retro late-sixties vibe. I love the way “Dragonfly”, an elegantly melodic song, slowly builds to a fantastic eruption of sound. This track which features Kenny Soule on drums and Tony Tino on bass, seemingly draws a lot of inspiration from the band, Yes.

One can surely tell, Dave Fields went “All In” on the creation of this album. It’s definitely worth checking out.

♠ Check out this review of my new CD from Swedish reviewer ROGER BENGTSSON: http://ungtro.com/recensioner/fangar-intresset-med-rock-funk-och-soul-om-vartannat
Guitarist and vocalist Dave Fields catches my interest with his fourth album. Nine original songs and two cover songs really sharp; Robert Johnson Cross Road and Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog, is what is on the program and it is rock , funk, blues and soul of every other . Mostly rock, however, and it is performed really well. Clear favorites, besides the Zeppelin cover is the opener Changes In My Life and the soul-funk-rock-dance Let’s Go Downtown. He’s an artist I’d love to hear more of. Lovely! 4 stars

OK, Lady K has been a Dave Fields fan for a few years now, and was thrilled to open a package of CDs from the Boston Blues Society and discover that it contained Dave’s newest disc All In – just waiting for me to listen to and write about.

But first, one teensy complaint: The CD cover says track four is a tune called “Black Widow,” but the fourth track is actually a surreal tune called “Dragon Fly.” It’s a cool tune, very different – about the ‘sound of a dragonfly’s bite.’ Since fans typically don’t buy CDs based on the names of the tracks included, the confusion about which track is which is not a big deal. But note to Dave: ‘Dude, proof read!’

In case you aren’t familiar with him, Dave Fields is a New York City man, an insane guitarist and singer, and a gifted songwriter (some people just ooze talent.)

All In is a funky, rocking blues disc containing nine original tunes, and two amazing covers. Players on this album include people who have played with Dave for a while – both in the U.S. and Europe: Bass (Andy Huenerberg and Tony Tino); drums (Kenny Soule and Dave Moore); and keyboards (Vladimir Barsky and Dave Keyes).

The covers are not obscure. Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road,” electrified here, is amazing. Inhabitants of Guitar Heaven probably play along when they hear this version, and Johnson must love it. The other cover, Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” is about as funky as it can be.

Some scary-heavy guitar opens the first track, “Changes In My Life.” It’s rockin’ blues about how to overcome whatever snags life throws at you – “Sometimes it seems like there’s obstacles at every turn / gremlins that try to sabotage the journey / but I keep going, with the changes in my life.”

“Let’s Go Downtown” (‘to where they play the blues’) is blues with an up-funky-tempo; it’ll compel you to dance (or to head downtown for a night out). The guitar is insane (as it is on all tracks of all of Dave’s CDs). The heavy-duty rocking blues, backed by Dave Keys’ delicate keyboard, in “Wake Up Jasper” surround a dad’s song to his son: “All the little girls love you / they want to take you home / wake up, time to go to school / you better open up your eyes, time to learn the golden rule.”

Barsky’s uptempo organ in “Not Gonna Let You Get Away” will make listeners sit up and pay attention.

“Got a Hold On Me” has a ton of music going on. It’s up-tempo blues with, sexy funk, and Huenerberg’s compelling bass, and very determined lyrics: “Cause I need that girl, gotta make that girl my own / well it feels like voodoo magic / that girl, she got a hold on me.”

Fields aimed for real sexy in yet another rockin’ blues cut; the mid-tempo “That’s All Right”, and he succeeded – it’s steamy.

All In is Lady K’s new favorite Dave Fields album.

♣ POWERPLAY MAGAZINE “ALL IN” REVIEW

By Duncan Jamieson

On his fourth album New Yorker Dave Fields demonstrates that he know a thing ot two about making the blues groovy. Like some of the best guitarists, he sculpts sounds rather than just following notes. It’s unashamedly a blues album, but enough rock to interest people reading this mag. The song ‘Black Widow’ stands out; it has a hypnotic vibe and abstract lyrics that demonstrate the blues is still as relevant as ever and hasn’t lost its mojo. ‘Let’s Go Downtown’ sees Fields sounding like a cool blues cat, and ‘Voodoo Eyes’, while not startlingly original, shows off Fields’ prowess as a guitarist and singer. As blues guitarists go, he’s a damn fine singer, too, capable of some blue eyed soul if needed. The album was recorded mostly live in the studio and it’s an occasion when this benefits the music, because you can hear a band playing and not a cut and paste job.

The sight of two covers on the record bodes less well, especially when upi see that they are classic Led Zeppelin and Cream (and Robert Johnson) songs. Why mess with songs that are almost impossible to top? But in Fields’ skillful hands, they are remolded enough to make them sound quite different from the source material, also proof of his confidence as a musician to take the music that suits him. For ‘Crossroad’ he gives it a slower, more intense feel than the Cream version giving it more the menace of the Robert Johnson original. Zep’s ‘Black Dog’ is almost unrecognizable; the hard rock is ousted to make way for a funky blues number with Fields taking the line “I’m gonna make you groove” and really working the life out of it.

Polished standard blues with moments of real flair, you sense Fields live would be something extra special. POWERPOINTS: 7

♦“ALL IN” REVIEWS BLUES MATTERS DAVE FIELDS ALL IN FMI Records On this his fourth release New York born Dave Fields has brought out a resounding rocking electrifying blues soul sound. Eleven songs with two covers, a funky live take on Led Zeppelins Black Dog brings a totally different arrangement of his own and the perennial favorite Cross Road a different more snarly rock but slowed down take on the timeless classic by Robert Johnson Crossroads. Life’s struggles of getting older and how to face this, are set to a rocky beat and sublime guitar solo which he possibly takes too far but effective on the opening track Changes In My Life. Voodoo Eyes is a strange interpretation and a cheerful listening experience with fiery guitar riffs and rhythm provided by bass guitarist Andy Huenerberg, on drums Kenny Soule and Vladimir Barsky on drums, long term members of the band. One of the highlight songs is Let’s Go Downtown, it has a great catchy boogie stroll to it very melodic with good harmonies. A total change next on Dragon Fly very ethereal and totally different to anything else on this release possibly harkening back to a soft rock type appeal. Wake Up Jasper has a twelve bar introduction but later has a grungy rhythm and blues approach. That’s Alright gives a good funky feel, with Dave’s vocals adding to the clean mix. Ending with a mostly acoustic Lover’s Holiday, this is a solid release ebbs and flows well, superb. COLIN CAMPBELL

♥ BIG CITY BLUES “ALL IN” REVIEW by Roger & Margaret White Dave Fields grew up in New York City learning his trade first-hand at the side of his father, Broadway composer Sammy “Forever” Fields. Making his name in commercial music before moving on to his award winning blues recording. Dave is on the move again with his fourth CD “All In”. He’s in 100% he’s the composer, singer, producer, mix/masterer and plays most of the instruments with the help of Kenny Soule on drums and Tony Tino or Andy Huenerberg on bass. This new disc is more rock oriented in tone while keeping a blues based edge and the songs reflect “The Changes In My Life” with Dave demonstrating his skill with guitar licks and tricks worthy of Steve Vai, recorded live at Al Weber’s New York studio. Others recorded live are the alluring “Voodoo Eyes” featuring spell binding guitar leads and the epic “Not Gonna Let You Get Away” with Vladimir Barsky on organ and Barsky stays on for the Earl King-influenced number “Got A Hold On Me.” While giving a light swing groove to Led Zepplin’s heavy rock tune “Black Dog” recorded live in Norway, Dave’s guitar technique switch to a grinding drone driving his cover of Robert Johnson’s “Crossroad” which is barely recognizable until the last gritty guitar lick. “Wake Up Jasper”, featuring Dave Keyes on piano, is a gritty roadhouse blues rocker that roars with earth shaking guitar licks. The retro “Let’s Go Downtown” is a Prince-like call to party in NYC with a funky groove and all the moves and Dave sings “That’s All Right.” Cutting all the bombast, a delicate flighty guitar rings on “Dragon Fly”, soaring to heights in the lead. The “Lover’s Holiday” drops all pretensions with a light acoustic finger snapping New York City Doo Wop delight. Dave Fields puts everything into each of his endeavors and with “All In” it’s just another side to this talented multifaceted artist. Roger and Margaret White bluestime@sbcglobal.net ♣ Barn Owl Blues ALL IN Review by Eric Campfens A great CD for fans of guitar music is the new one by Dave Fields: “All In”. The New York native has recently released his fourth album, and it has become a pretty good album. To accompany him he has chosen a few musicians with whom he works regularly, namely bassists Andy Huenerberg and Tony Tino, drummer Kenny Soule, pianist Dave Keys and keyboard player Vladimir Barsky. The album consists of nine original songs and two covers. Fields is a good songwriter and an excellent guitarist, who can produce fireworks in solid blues rock songs and play sensitive and spherical ballads. Remarkable is his choice of the covers. The first one is the famous Robert Johnson song “Cross Road”, which rubs close to the legendary version of Cream. Only Fields is rawer and darker. The other cover is Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”, a beautiful live recording. Of the own compositions the swinging “Let’s Go Downtown” and the smooth “Wake Up Jasper” are my favorites. BarnOwlBlues find: A very nice CD with eleven great songs. Expect no innovations, but it is all solid and well performed. For the guitar enthusiast, this is definitely recommended. http://barnowlblues.punt.nl/content/2014/08/Dave-Fields–All-In

♦ All In Dave Fields FMI Records www.davefields.com 11 tracks/50 minutes Rocking blues with an edge is something we’ve come to expect from Dave Fields and he does not disappoint here! Nine originals and two interesting covers comprise this new CD’s set of music that was done predominantly live in the studio. There are some US musicians who join him on most cuts and a few cuts have some European backing guys that Dave works with in his travels. He opens with the big sounding “Changes In My Life” where a huge guitar intro sets the stage for the CD. The title is an apt description of the topic of the song’s lyrics. Dave offers up a couple of huge guitar solos. “Voodoo Eyes” is sort of an homage to Hendrix where Fields takes us back to the late 60’s in such a good way. Recorded live, it’s great cut! The boogie gets unleashed in “Let’s Go Downtown” where Dave lets us get out our dance shoes and party. “Dragon Fly” is a thoughtful piece with some great lyrics in a piece that reminds me in ways of a classic rock opera. Robert Johnson’s Cross Road gets a fuzzy and distorted electrified approach that is quite interesting and cool. “Wake Up Jasper” is a song where Fields describes waking up his son in a slick, mid-tempo shuffle. Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” goes the other way in style from the RJ song; Fields turns it into a funky, slow blues. Also recorded live, it’s well done and a lot of fun. ”Not Gonna Let You Get Away” is also live and another great little piece with some sweet organ work. “Got A Hold On Me” is done in a sort of SRV style but with breathy vocals by Fields. “That’s All Right” has a funky beat and sound and some more big organ work. Another huge guitar solo! Fields closes with the solo acoustic “Lover’s Holiday.” He is backed by clicking fingers for percussion. Dave again shows diversity in styles with his great original songs and that he can put an interesting twist on familiar covers than make them his. He is a talented musician who effectively blends the blues into a variety of styles of rock. It’s an impressive fourth CD for him that I am sure will please his fans and those new to his work. The songs and performances here are tight and enjoyable. If you like rocking blues with some interesting twist and variety then you need to pick this CD up. Dave’s turned in another winner here! Reviewed by Steve Jones Steve Jones President Crossroads Blues Society Links: Field of Blues Festival http://fieldofblues.blogspot.com/ Crossroads Blues Festival at Lyran Park http://crossroadsbluesfestival.blogspot.com/ Crossroads News http://crossroadsbluessociety.blogspot.com/ Crossroads Web Site http://www.crossroadsbluessociety.com/

♣ http://boomerocity.com/index.php/reviews-interviews/cd/522-all-in-dave-fields Boomercity ALL IN Review By Randy Patterson A couple of years ago, a renowned publicist sent me a CD and suggested that I give it a listen – that they thought I’d really love the artist. The album was “Detonation”, the artist was guitarist Dave Fields and the publicist was right: I was blown away by Fields’ talent and the entire album – so much so that I raved about it in my review of it (here) and asked to interview him (here). I was thrilled when I received an advance copy of his new CD, “All In” a few weeks ago. The disc is an eleven song gold mine of incredible music consisting of nine original tunes and two outstanding covers. The first cover is a down and dirty version of “Crossroads”. Dave’s treatment of it is nothing short of sheer brilliance. The second cover is of the Led Zeppelin classic, “Black Dog”. You won’t recognize the tune from the funky music but will immediately recognize the lyrics. Again, Fields brings a fun brilliance to the song. All nine of the original songs on “All In” are amazing. However, I’d like to draw attention to “Voodoo Eyes”, “Not Going To Let You Get Away”, and “Lover’s Holiday”. These three songs are excellent examples of Dave’s breadth and depth as a songwriter, musician and performer. Dave Fields is an artist who is worthy of much broader audience and he’s building a loyal following one disc, one gig, one interview at a time. So, if you love blues; if you love rock; if you love great guitar work, then definitely pick up a copy of “All In”. Once you give it a good listening to, you’ll want the rest of Dave Fields’ work.

♦DAVE FIELDS – “ALL IN” REVIEW Mladen Lončar (Croatia) – Mike, dana 16-07-2014 09:07 http://www.soundguardian.com/content/view/30918/53/ It’s been sixteen months since his last release, FMI Records saw the light of day “All In”, an album which was produced and mixed by the guitarist just like Dave did to follow of his first two albums, and each of his albums is absolutely in every respect, a great step forward. This is Dave Fields fourth album. Until a few years ago the name of Dave Fields was not known in this region, but as the years go by and as more and more intense promotion of this artist is growing and gaining in importance, he receives more and more airplay of his songs and this is what we are all very much looking forward to. Accordingly Blues Corner has done and is doing everything to help it promote musicians who need space for the promotion and affirmation. On the other hand, it seems to me that more and more of the promoter and record companies realize how important internet promotion is. I wish that there were more of these web pages and spaces, to which there was more to intensively promote blues music. Fortunately, after more than 18 years on radio stations and more than 9 years of this online promotional work, there has been created some sites that certainly give positive results. During all these years I have tried to give as much emphasis on the widely known musicians and legendary masters of blues musicians and those who will become recognized and whose musical work and activities produce exceptional quality and albums. To this end there’s Dave Fields, a musician who is living proof of all of what I write. Dave was raised by his nanny Olive Nettles Still, he repaid her in a way that has become a person of full confidence. From an early age he started to learn the piano and bass, it would be with less than 14 years dedicated to learning the guitar. He soon became noticed instrumentalist who began playing at various gigs session. At 16 Dave plays with incredible ease and acoustic and electric bass, well, pedal and lap steel, mandolin, drums and Hammond B-3 organ. His talent Dave is used in a way that he studied music at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Upon returning to New York deals with music in the best possible way – harmony, produces and arranges and, as a superb multi-instrumentalist, playing in the studio with many musicians of various publishing houses. And if all this is not a piece of cake is the fact that during the tour, U2 “Rattle and Hum” appeared in the same film. The album, “All In” is the epitome of an exquisite musical feeling that literally forces you to replay and listen again. I’m glad that Dave Fields stands firmly on the ground and his uncompromising playing has won many fans around the globe, every day more and more. With these eleven new songs Dave does a masterly job and it seems to me that this is a kind of musical ode to his major influences such as Hendrix, Fats Domino, Led Zeppelin, Duane Allman and others. From song to song, Dave leads us with equal ease whether it is or rock n roll, r n’ b, funk, cajun, soul and blues. His extraordinary musical educational stylized background simply hides absolutely everything, even the smallest disadvantage. His band is as follows: Dave Fields – vocals, guitar Tony Tino (1,2,4,8), Andy Huenerberg (5,6,9) & Bjorn Ove Hagset (7) – bass Kenny Soule (1-6,8,9), Dave Moore (10) & Kåre Amundsen (7) – drums Vladimir Barsky (2,8,9) & Dave Keyes (6) – keys And what they have done is really worth to hear and certainly provokes a strong respect for all of the musicians on this CD, and fellow musicians and critics, and that of the fans. Why? For the simple reason, that this music that Dave and his band perform is the most sincere, deep and playful, inspired playing. We have the present zeal to hear that, for example, the performance of the legendary “Black Dog” Led Zeppelin or the strongly and especially processed classic “Crossroads.” Of course, there are other songs that are worth a mentioning and to highlight; In fact, each in its own way unique is special. Whether it is rock, funky, R & B and rock ‘n’ blues. It is a complete and separate story that when one completes listening gets the high significance of what Dave is doing. And here I cite as an example the song “That’s All Right”. In fact, I believe that every listener will remain astonished at this impressive fusion of funk and blues. It’s just more proof of this artist’s phenomenal talent and how the atmosphere flows in almost frenetic waves, then subsides… the whole thing just flows incredibly impressive and goes to an end. Indeed, great! And the last song of the album, the acoustic “Lover’s Holiday” speaks a flavor of just that, and also works as a song of farewell, as it tells us, goodbye to the recent reunion. One that I cannot wait! RECOMMENDATION: Dave Fields and his new album displays an enchanting side of the rhythm of life. In the atmosphere of modern blues, Dave is definitely an interesting and talented musician, whose music literally comes out of every pore of his being, and the result is this unique album, which is really worth a listen. Oh, pretty please, read what others write “Dave Fields is destined for greatness but, my deepest thought is that he cares little for fame but is driven by his love for the music. This is a man worth searching out, you will not be disappointed”. – Bill Wilson “…an enjoyable listen for both blues acolytes and casual club jumpers … anexhilarating concert experience if you ever get a chance to see Fields live”. – DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE “Fields stand apart as a flamboyant ent ertainer”. – BLUES REVIEW Richard Ludmerer

♠ ROOTSTIME REVIEW Eric Schuurmans(Belgium) “Electrifying rock with a blues soul …” Dave Fields grew up in NYC, the son of the gifted composer / arranger Sammy “Forever” Fields. As a child, Dave was often found in the recording studio of his father, where he came into contact with musicians such as Sammy Kahn, Rupert Holmes and Stevie Wonder. His nanny who was from Waycross Georgia, caused some Southern cultural influences in Dave’s personality. Because his sister Laura, who is also a gifted musician, at the age of fourteen, by a strange twist of fate lost her hearing; Dave found it a mission to listen to people and to communicate through music. Dave’s ability to “making his guitar talk” and music combine styles are an example of the multi-cultural diversity in life. Living in the melting pot of NYC fits perfectly with Dave’s personal attitude. Dave’s musical path is a long journey … Dave graduated from the “Berklee College of Music ‘and was in the NYC music scene initially a” first call “guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. In 2006, Dave decided to start working on his current career path. He had backed up and produced many others, but now it was time for him. In 2012 Dave Fields was nominated into the “NY Blues Hall of Fame along with John Hammond and Gary S Bonds. John Mayall covered on his recent album “Tough” Dave’s song “Train To My Heart”. From 2007 to 2012, brought Dave Fields three albums and his new album “All In” is a logical follow-up. With eleven tracks, nine original and two covers (Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” with its own stanza and added a funky live version of Led Zep’s “Black Dog”). Playing on the album old acquaintances of his first albums with Andy Huenerberg (bass), Kenny Soule (drums), Vladimir Barsky (keys), Dave Moore (drums) and some newcomers like Tony Tino (bass) and “special guest” BMA nominee Dave Keyes (piano). The songs are recorded live in the studio. Album tracks: 1 “Changes In My Life” * – 2 “Voodoo Eyes” * [Sandi Rose] – 3 “Let’s Go Downtown” [Billy Gibson / David Bowen] – 4 “Dragon Fly” – 5 “Crossroad” [Robert Johnson] – 6 “Wake Up Jasper” – 7 “Black Dog” [Page / Plant / Jones / Bonham] – 8 “Not Gonna Let You Get Away” * – 9 “Got A Hold On Me” – 10 “That’s All Right “[Sandi Rose] – 11” Lover’s Holiday “- All songs written and co-written (2,3,11) by Dave Fields except (5.9) – * Recorded live at Al Weber’s The album opens with “Changes In My Life”, a fatalistic rocker where Dave quickly attacks with sparkling solos, which continue to resonate throughout the track. His goal is clear: “I keep going with the changes in my life” Dave then continues with a mysterious rock song by Sandi Rose 2 “Voodoo Eyes” an unattainable (dangerous) love: “Girl you got voodoo Those eyes …” . It’s a track that takes you to a place where classic rock legends live. The organ of Vladimir Barsky put here the extra vocal in the paint. The theme is repeated further on this album again in 9 “Got A Hold On Me”, which Dave again lingers on “that girl” … and he lets ignite it. Feeling in his solos 3 “Let’s Go Downtown” [Billy Gibson / David Bowen] is a funky track that takes them to the inner city (Harlem south of Union Square), and calling for a dance: “Let’s go downtown, to where they play the blues “another invitation to the dance is a song that takes its inspiration from Elmore James: 6” Wake Up Jasper. “When Dave plays guitar you hear a bell ring”. The surreal, complaining 4 “Dragon Fly” floats over again, with words like “An unfulfilled hunger unfathomably wide …”, through the layers of reality. Then there is the first to cover: 5 “Crossroad”. This is indeed the classic Robert Johnson, but Dave wraps the song with its own stunning guitar trance in a cocoon, the thumping rhythm of Kenny Soul encloses. The listeners should all undergo behind this wall of sound. Detail: Dave changed the fourth stanza in its own version. The second cover is a song by Led Zeppelin: 7 “Black Dog” [Page / Plant / Jones / Bonham]. It is a live recording (in Vestnes Fjord Hotell in Norway) the track is more than six minutes long, masterfully put down to its rawest form. 8 “Not Gonna Let You Get Away” is the third (funky) track recorded live in Al Weber’s studio. We are approaching the end of 10 “That’s All Right” [Sandi Rose] and the closer 11 “Lover’s Holiday”. 11 “Lover’s Holiday” is a street serenade and Dave’s wink to the ‘doo-wop’ history that NY has. The new album from Dave Fields “All In” can be described primarily as a “guitar lover’s dream.” Dave Fields is one of those special blues men who amazes everyone with his diverse musical passions for rock, blues and soul. All tracks on the album have you heard another facet of Dave’s blues. After “All In” is completed, you finish off the evening and see you as Jimi and Stevie Ray pass by with a smile in your dreams. Eric Schuurmans Line-up: Dave Fields: vocals, guitar Bass: Tony Tino (1,2,4,8) & Andy Huenerberg (5,6,9) & Bjorn Ove Hagset (7) Drums: Kenny Soule (1-6,8,9) & Dave Moore (10) & Kåre Amundsen (7) Keys: Vladimir Barsky (2,8,9) & Dave Keyes (6) Discography: 2007: “Time’s A Wastin ‘” 2008: “All Wound Up” 2012: “Detonation” 2014: “All In” – Produced by Dave Fields

♣ All In (Dave Fields) CD Review From Boomercity http://boomerocity.com/index.php/reviews-interviews/cd/522-all-in-dave-fields All In Dave Fields Label: FMI Release Date: July 01, 2014 Review Date: June 29, 2014 A couple of years ago, a renowned publicist sent me a CD and suggested that I give it a listen – that they thought I’d really love the artist. The album was “Detonation”, the artist was guitarist Dave Fields and the publicist was right: I was blown away by Fields’ talent and the entire album – so much so that I raved about it in my review of it (here) and asked to interview him (here). I was thrilled when I received an advance copy of his new CD, “All In” a few weeks ago. The disc is an eleven song gold mine of incredible music consisting of nine original tunes and two outstanding covers. The first cover is a down and dirty version of “Crossroads”. Dave’s treatment of it is nothing short of sheer brilliance. The second cover is of the Led Zeppelin classic, “Black Dog”. You won’t recognize the tune from the funky music but will immediately recognize the lyrics. Again, Fields brings a fun brilliance to the song. All nine of the original songs on “All In” are amazing. However, I’d like to draw attention to “Voodoo Eyes”, “Not Going To Let You Get Away”, and “Lover’s Holiday”. These three songs are excellent examples of Dave’s breadth and depth as a songwriter, musician and performer. Dave Fields is an artist who is worthy of much broader audience and he’s building a loyal following one disc, one gig, one interview at a time. So, if you love blues; if you love rock; if you love great guitar work, then definitely pick up a copy of “All In”. Once you give it a good listening to, you’ll want the rest of Dave Fields’ work.

♥ Blues Underground Network John Vermilyea “ALL IN” is the next stop in the journey of electrifying rock-blues artist Dave Fields. This 11 song CD will stir your emotions while his guitar will scintillate you. Listen To Samples Here… http://www.davefieldsmusic.com/all-in/ Following Review Excerpt Courtesy Of donandsherylsbluesblog Dave Fields is one of the most dazzling, cutting-edge guitarists on the scene today. He grew up in NYC, the son of famed composer Sammy Fields, and it wasn’t unusual for him to see guys such as Stevie Wonder and Rupert Holmes in his father’s studio. A nanny from Waycross, GA, introduced him to the soul of Southern culture, and these varied influences are evident throughout his music. His latest release, entitled “All In,” is simply a guitar-lover’s dream. He incorporates nine originals with two unusual covers herein, each showcasing a different shade of Dave’s blues. The opening cut is a sweet taste of things to come, as Dave wrings out an ethereal solo before breaking into a tale of perserverance and “rollin’ with the Changes In My Life,” which features another hot solo mid-song. Vladimir Barsky’s organ augments Dave’s soulful vocal on the story of the kind of girl we’ve all known–the one where “one look and you’re hooked” with those “Voodoo Eyes.” He revisits this theme later on in a cool song done in stop-time, SRV-style, the staccato strut of “that girl’, She Got A Hold On Me.” Let’s get to the favorites. “Cross Road” is indeed the Robert Johnson classic, and Dave delivers it here as a near-Hill-Country stomp, with his guitar setting up a trance-like “wall of sound” over Kenny Soule’s stompin’ beats. Next is a live recording from Norway, as Dave strips down Led Zep’s “Black Dog” to its base, bare-bones elements, and we simply couldn’t get enough of it done this way! At the opposite end of Dave’s blues spectrum is the highly-contagious groove of “Let’s Go Downtown, where they play the blues,’ as he name-checks landmarks all over his hometown, “from Harlem south to Union Square!” Continue Reading Review Here… http://donandsherylsbluesblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/04/dave-fields-review-june-3-2014/ Additional Artist Info… http://www.davefields.com/

♦ BMAN’S BLUES REPORT http://www.bmansbluesreport.com I just received the newest release (July 1, 2014), All In, from Dave Fields and it’s quite strong. Opening with Changes In My Life, a blues shaped rocker, Fields,playing most all instruments lays out a pop blues rocker with a catchy feel and blues riffs blended with modern tapping techniques making for an interesting change of pace. Voodoo Eyes is up next with more of a ballad style but with a cool rhythm. Fields again steps up with some really nice guitar riffs and key work that nicely highlights the track. Let’s Go Downtown has a really happy feel and pacing march rhythm not a lot unlike what you might expect from Wet Willie or Elvin Bishop. This is a cool track with strong blues guitar riffs. Yeah, he has a better voice than my pal Crabshaw, but I ain’t holding that against him. Nice track. Dragon Fly takes a much more serious approach to the music with more of an orchestral arrangement, powerful bottom and soaring guitar. Cream’s (Robert Johnson) Cross Road is up next with a totally different feel. The reason that I say Cream has more to do with it sounding like an interpretation of Cream’s interpretation of Robert Johnson’s Crossroad Blues. With a slower pace and a heavier attack, this track has new life and modern guitar pyrotechnics yet retains a bit of the rawness of Johnson’s original. Wake Up Jasper is a straight up 12 bar number along the lines of Blind Willie McTell’s Statesboro Blues. Fields has a nice voice that blends well with his musical style. Breaking into a R&B track midway through, this track is one of the coolest on the release with Jeff Beck like guitar sounds and a Wilson Pickett step. Excellent! A really cool twist is a funky take on Led Zep’s Black Dog! Retaining a bit of Robert Plant’s senseless groans and grunts might be the easiest tip off that it’s the same track it’s done so nicely, Led Zep fans will easily pick it out… but it is really a new track. Not retaining the flash and flair of Page’s guitar work opting instead to do it “Texas Style” this is quite a cool track.Not Gonna Let You Get Away retains that southern blues funk with a pop edge. An “Eddie van Halen” like guitar solo breaks the funk but not in a bad way. This is a cool track which nicely blends not only musical styles but also guitar styles and nice vocal work. Got A Hold On Me slides into Ray Charles territory with a touch of Stevie Ray. A cool R&B rocker with modern guitar sounds really separates this track and Fields as a whole as someone who is trying to cut his own road. Nice job! That’s All Right is a groove monster with a funky beat and killer guitar riffs. Again Fields is right on vocally making this one of the nicer tracks on the release. Wrapping the recording is Lover’s Holiday, an easy, acoustic number primarily featuring Fields on acoustic guitar and vocals, light percussion and backing. This is a cool little track to complete what is certainly Fields finest outing to date.

♠ Nathan Nörgel Wasser-Prawda (Germany): http://wasser-prawda.de/component/zoo/item/dave-fields-all-in?category_id=45&Itemid=427 From New York comes guitarist Dave Fields. And his new album “All In” will inspire everyone, especially friends of the brilliant played blues rock guitar. It’s the same time with a solo go: The guitar stands out and sings to the skies before Fields begins about the “Changes In My Life” to sing. Here you can tell right away that “All In” was recorded essentially live in the studio: The pressure is correct – and such a solo takes the spontaneity to be alive. Are supplemented by a guitar and tuners here exactly fits fat organ. In “Voodoo Eyes” it becomes dry and funky. And anyway you can with the self-penned songs by Fields hear that he has next to blues and rock a lot left for soul music – even if there is no fat wind as catchy jumping evidence. The son of producer and composer Sammy Fields, was already involved after his studies at the Berklee School of Music in productions of Ahmet Ertegun, worked with Lenny Kravitz, Sean Lennon and Aretha Franklin. And stood with U2 at “Rattle & Hum” together in front of the camera. This proves his versatility as well as the choice of two cover versions on the album: “Cross Road” comes at Fields with distorted guitar and extreme tempo reduced therefore: Here, the voltage of Johnson’s song is entirely placed on the inner conflict, not on speed records. And then there’s his version of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”: This is going to completely reduced to its stomping blues roots and presented without any machismo and Rockerpose. Fascinating!

♣ http://donandsherylsbluesblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/04/dave-fields-review-june-3-2014/ Dave Fields review…June 3, 2014… Posted June 4, 2014 DAVE FIELDS ALL IN FMI RECORDS CHANGES IN MY LIFE–VOODOO EYES–LET’S GO DOWNTOWN–BLACK WIDOW–CROSS ROAD–WAKE UP JASPER–BLACK DOG–NOT GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY–GOT A HOLD ON ME–THAT’S ALL RIGHT–LOVER’S HOLIDAY Dave Fields is one of the most dazzling, cutting-edge guitarists on the scene today. He grew up in NYC, the son of famed composer Sammy Fields, and it wasn’t unusual for him to see guys such as Stevie Wonder and Rupert Holmes in his father’s studio. A nanny from Waycross, GA, introduced him to the soul of Southern culture, and these varied influences are evident throughout his music. His latest release, entitled “All In,” is simply a guitar-lover’s dream. He incorporates nine originals with two unusual covers herein, each showcasing a different shade of Dave’s blues. The opening cut is a sweet taste of things to come, as Dave wrings out an ethereal solo before breaking into a tale of perserverance and “rollin’ with the Changes In My Life,” which features another hot solo mid-song. Vladimir Barsky’s organ augments Dave’s soulful vocal on the story of the kind of girl we’ve all known–the one where “one look and you’re hooked” with those “Voodoo Eyes.” He revisits this theme later on in a cool song done in stop-time, SRV-style, the staccato strut of “that girl’, She Got A Hold On Me.” Let’s get to the favorites. “Cross Road” is indeed the Robert Johnson classic, and Dave delivers it here as a near-Hill-Country stomp, with his guitar setting up a trance-like “wall of sound” over Kenny Soule’s stompin’ beats. Next is a live recording from Norway, as Dave strips down Led Zep’s “Black Dog” to its base, bare-bones elements, and we simply couldn’t get enough of it done this way! At the opposite end of Dave’s blues spectrum is the highly-contagious groove of “Let’s Go Downtown, where they play the blues,’ as he name-checks landmarks all over his hometown, “from Harlem south to Union Square!” Another great tune for the dancers is the Elmore James-inspired rocker, “Wake Up Jasper,” where Dave literally plays his guitar like ringin’ a bell!” And, the set closes with Dave’s nod to the doo-wop history of New York, with the street corner serenade of “Lover’s Holiday.” Dave Fields is one of those rare bluesmen who never ceases to amaze with his deep passions for rock, blues, and soul. With “All In,” we will close with this—somewhere out there, Jimi and Stevie Ray are smiling their approval….Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, Nashville Blues Society.

♥ Bill Wilson BILLTOWN BLUES SOCIETY http://chickenwilson2.blogspot.com/p/june-reviews.html Dave Fields, a veteran of the Billtown Blues Festival, is releasing yet another album, due out on July 1st. At a glance, there would not seem to be much that would set him apart from the masses but, Dave Fields is not your average “wannabe” blues star. After graduating from high school, he attended the Berklee School of Music, in Boston where he studied performance and composition/arranging. After school he found a career as a composer, arranger and producer, working for independent record labels as well as playing on records as the “First- Call” guitarist/multi-instrumentalist with the likes of GRP Productions and Ahmet Ertegen …no small honor. His list of accomplishments is as long as your arm and then some. The band/writer for the New Voices of Freedom, performing with U2 in their movie “Rattle & Hum”, he has also worked with Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Lennon, the Drifters, Tommy James and more. The son of the noted, gifted composer and arranger producer Sammy “Forever” Fields, Dave was immersed in the music since birth. While this would seem to be a case where the deck was stacked in his favor, talent and countless hours of study and hard work are the real secret to success in this business. As with anything else in this world, there are no free rides. Being born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth may open a door here and there but if you don’t have what it takes to succeed, the trip to the unemployment line is in your future for sure. Dave Fields has what it takes to make the cut and has shown it to be true time after time. An exceptional songwriter, All In features nine dynamic original tunes plus rousing renditions of Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” and Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” offering a brilliant display of his many and varied talents. He has written considerable amounts of material for stage, screen and TV, accompanied the best performers in the business and is known worldwide for his masterful word as a musician. This, his most recent work goes beyond anything we have heard thus far, taking the listeners to places beyond the realms of our imaginations, blending musical styles without losing touch with his blues roots. Working with a stellar cast that includes many with whom he has worked in the past and a few notable newcomers, Dave has amassed a group of the best performers the industry has to offer, with Andy Huenerberg on bass, Kenny Soule on drums, Vladimir Barsky on keys, Dave Moore on drums and newcomers Tony Tino on bass and BMA nominee, Dave Keyes on piano. The end result is spellbinding, showing the world many different sides of the multi-talented Fields. Dave Fields guitar style is as varied as the day is long. If there is one thing stands out clear as a bell, it is the fact that not one note is wasted. His work is powerful and passionate, making it well-suited for the blues genre but not confined there. He is a masterful player to be sure and not one to be easily placed in a box. Dave Fields is destined for greatness but, my deepest thought is that he cares little for fame but is driven by his love for the music. This is a man worth searching out, you will not be disappointed. – Bill Wilson

♦ Chris Spector Midwest Record 830 W. IL. Route 22 #144 Lake Zurich, IL., 60047 www.midwestrecord.com www.myspace.com/midwestrecord www.davefields.com DAVE FIELDS/All In: When Fields first started going out on his own, the major labels were just starting to fall apart. At that time, when you heard something that sounded like it should be on a major but wasn’t, you still had to wrap your head around it that there was nothing wrong with it. Fields continues to show there’s nothing wrong with it. With a sound rooted in blues rock power trios, Fields and his pals power shred their way through a set of mostly originals, all compelling and on the money. Coming form a place that reveres bar bands who aspire to shaking the walls rather than resonating echoes in outdoor arenas, this is how you rock through the American night. Hot stuff. 80190100058

♦ Edward Karn “All In” Review http://www.memyselfmusicandmysteries.com/2013-blues-coming-july-1st-from-blues-guitarist-dave-fields-all-in-one-video/ 2014 Blues coming July 1st from Blues Guitarist Dave Fields – All In by Edward Karn • June 3, 2014 I first discovered Dave Fields’ music back in 2010, in the first few months of this blog’s existence. The first album of Dave’s that I listened to was his début album Times a-Wastin’ and well it and it only took the first song ”Let’s Get Shakin’” for me to know, that I was going to like this guy, and it wasn’t long after that I listened to his 2008 release All Wound Up and, well, I loved Dave’s guitar playing, vocals and songwriting from the first listens and I’ve been a fan ever since. In looking back at my posts, I see that I never did write a post about All Wound Up, so let’s let Dave Rubin a staff writer for CD Baby sum it up: Fields’ deeply emotional set, which builds in intensity with deceptive ease and grace, culminates with the dramatic and powerful soul rocker, “Guide Me to the Light.” As on many other cuts, the Hammond organ provides a fat, propulsive pad under his plea for “love and understanding” that is at once a personal as well as a universal message, revealing a spiritual side not often encountered in contemporary blues-based music. Dave Fields is an extraordinarily talented contemporary singer, songwriter and instrumentalist who knows his music inside and out and from the bottom up. The result is an exceptional aesthetic experience for the mind and body. Read More at CDBaby http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davefields2 His next release was 2012′s Detonation. I did write a post about that album and you can read it here Dave is now set to release(July 1st) maybe his best album All In. All In has been in my music rotation for a week or so now, and I can’t get enough of the album!! Like all of his albums Dave wastes no time getting the party started with the rockin’ “Changes in My Life”, with Dave’s flying guitar solo and the lyrics that tell you no matter what life throws at him he’ll keep going set the tone for the album. My favorite track after the first few listens “Voodoo Eyes” comes next kinda’ a spooky rock song, followed by the funky “Let’s Go Downtown” and six more of Dave’s original tunes follow with two great covers mixed in. One is Dave’s “live cover Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” which was recorded at a concert in Norway and the other Robert Johnson’s “Cross Roads” That makes eleven tracks all total, nine originals plus two covers! All In was recorded mostly live in the studio and features some of the same musicians that appeared on Dave’s prior albums including: Andy Huenerberg (bass) Kenny Sule (drums), Vladmir Barsky (keys) and Dave Moore (drums). Some new blood has been added to the mix though Tony Tino on bass and special guest Blues Music Award (BMA) nominee Dave Keyes on piano. I won’t go deep into Dave’s background except to say that he grew up in New York and is the son of noted composer arranger Sammy “Forever” Fields. And that bit of southern culture that may notice in Dave’s persona, well, that’s what you get when you’re raised by a nanny from Waycross, Georgia!! You read more about Dave at his website or in either of my other posts.. Before we more onto some music, let’s wrap it up with the words of the great Hubert Sumlin…. “When I first heard him I knew he was something special. When Dave plays he plays with such passion.” So check out All In!! Oh, if you’d like a pre-release download of the album it’s available here. http://www.davefieldsmusic.com/all-in/ Links Website http://www.davefields.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Fields/202369439809929 Reverbnation http://www.reverbnation.com/davefields CDBaby http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davefields2 Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Fields/e/B001LHVFHI/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d Here’s Dave with a live performance of “Better Be Good” from Detonation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd3zvlvoLuo http://www.memyselfmusicandmysteries.com/2013-blues-coming-july-1st-from-blues-guitarist-dave-fields-all-in-one-video/ 2014 Blues coming July 1st from Blues Guitarist Dave Fields – All In by Edward Karn • June 3, 2014

♣ MAKING A SCENE “ALL IN” REVIEW by Richard Ludmererhttp://www.makingascene.org/dave-fields/ Dave Fields is a highly skilled guitarist and vocalist. Field’s 2012 recording “Detonation” established him as a major player in the world of Blues Rock. This is Field’s fourth recording. Today Field’s band consists of Andy Huenerberg or Tony Tino, bass; Kenny Soule or Dave Moore, drums; and Vladimir Barsky, organ. Dave Keyes guests on piano. Field’s music is mostly all original. He opens with the autobiographical “Changes in My Life”. Working musicians make some tough choices and Fields shares his with us. A leslie makes his custom built guitar sound like an organ. Here it screams as he wrenches the notes from its neck. “Let’s Go Downtown” was co-written with Billy Gibson and David Bowen. A few years back Fields was in the band when Gibson won his Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica. Fields’s own awards include “Big City Blues Magazines” Lifetime Achievement award, his induction into the NY Blues Hall of Fame and winning the IBC’s 2006 Best Self-Produced CD. .“Wake Up Jasper” is about Fields’ son and features Keys on piano. “Dragon Fly” is almost surreal. “Girl you Got those Voodoo Eyes” featuring Barsky’s organ and Fields outstanding guitar line; and “That’s All Right” were co-written with Sandi Rose. My personal favorites include “Got a Hold on Me”, “That’s All Right” and the acoustic “Lovers Holiday”. Fields was influenced by rock guitarists Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page and here he covers two classic tunes. Robert Johnson’s blues anthem “Crossroads” was also covered by Clapton when he played with Cream. “Black Dog” was written and recorded by Led Zeppellin and featured guitarist Page. Fields seems to be more comfortable as a songwriter, front man, and bandleader than ever before. Fields is playing a high stakes game and declares he’s “All In”. Richard Ludmerer

“DETONATION REVIEWS”

CROSS ROADS BLUES SOCIETY http://crossroadsreviews.blogspot.com/search?q=%22dave+fields%22 “Detonation”, Dave Fields’ 3rd CD, is correctly named because it explodes with his powerful guitar style. Fields has packed 12 self written, lyric filled, and full of hot guitar solos tunes, backed by a strong band into over one hour of awesome music. Dave’s style of guitar playing reflects a strong influence from both Jimmie Hendricks and Stevie Ray Vaughn. He incorporates very strong rock and psychedelic elements into much of his guitar playing. His band is one fine group of musicians that includes Vladimir Barsky on keyboard, Andy Huenerberg playing bass and Kenny Soule adding drums to the lineup. Doug Hinrichs also adds percussion on most tunes. Opening “Detonation” with “Addicted To Your Love”, Dave Fields lets us know that he is a strong Hendricks-SRV rock filled guitarist. His vocals and lyrics are excel-lent on this track. Barsky’s organ stands out and is a great addition to the mix of this tune. This full blown rocker is a great way to open the set. “Doin’ Hard Time” which features the great blues artist, Joe Louis Walker, is a really neat blues song. Fields and Walker trade off slide guitar solos as well as vocal verses. This mix is great to listen to and takes in the talents of these two artists. The lyrics tell the story of a lost love and leaves us with the thought of “ I’m doing hard time but I’ve committed no crime – but I admit to be guilty of lovin’ you”. The chorus seems to tell the whole story. This is another really good tune. The best blues track, by far, on “Detonation” is “Pocket Full Of Dust”. This is another one of those love that’s gone astray and the pain that follows story. Dave shows us the true story of the blues with the lyrics on this tune. He tells us the tale of “since I lost my baby, I ain’t got nothing but a pocket full of dust”. Fields’ blues guitar stands out as he takes his time going into this tune along with a very tasteful organ line filling in the spaces. “Pocket Full Of Dust” is truly a full blown blues track that is a highlight for this re-cording. Going in a completely different direction Dave takes us to the reggae world with “Bad Hair Day”. This is one of those fun to listen to songs with great lyrics. Here his guitar work is complimented by Delmar Brown’s organ and a neat vocal rap. This is all good stuff that shows us another side of Fields’ music skills. Detonation” is a solid showcase of Dave’s ability to play many genres of music along with a strong blues influence. He seems to be more of a blues “ROCKER” guitarist that writes strong lyrics, surrounds himself with quality musicians and presents his style of music well. As a blues recording it may not stand up to the genre but it is one very enjoyable CD to listen to. This is all good. Reviewed by Harmonica Joe Poluyanskis

Frank-John Hadley Downbeat January 2013 Dave Fields: Detonation (Fields Of Roses 884501; 63:15; ***1/2) Where most blues-rock guitarists with a raging fever for Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck strike self-indulgent poses as swashbucklers, Fields stands apart as a flamboyant entertainer whose songs about “napalm loving” and false prophets have a vividness that seems fresh and true. The highlight of this David Z-produced album is “Pocket Full Of Dust,” a powerful testament to the strength of his talent for using voice and guitar to cauterize emotional hurt.

http://www.examiner.com/article/interview-guitarist-dave-fields-discusses-detonation THE EXAMINER Interview: Guitarist Dave Fields discusses ‘Detonation’ DECEMBER 3, 2012 BY: STERLING WHITAKER Dave Fields’ New Album is ‘Detonation’ Credits: Kayos Productions Perhaps it was inevitable that Dave Fields would become involved in music. The son of famed Broadway and film composer/arranger/producer Sammy Fields, he started playing piano at an early age before taking up guitar at 13. It wasn’t long before he was alternating playing sessions with his father and doing his own gigs. Fields attended Berklee College of Music and has gone on to a career that encompasses film, TV and jingle work, as well as his own albums and live performances. He has worked with artists as diverse as U2, Aretha Franklin, Hubert Sumlin and many more. Fields recently released his third solo album, Detonation. Unlike his previous efforts, the record is a step away from pure blues and into blues rock. Fields spoke to Examiner.com about his new album, touring the world, and shared highlights from his long career in the following exclusive interview. Special thanks to Carol Kaye at Kayos Productions for arranging this interview. You’re from a musical family, but one not necessarily associated with the blues. How did you become interested and involved in the blues specifically? That’s not necessarily true, because my dad played with a lot of blues people when he was in New York. He played with Curtis Knight, and he was just into everything when he was in New York. That’s just how it is; there’s so much different music here. You know, his focus was making a living, and he was into Broadway, and swing music, and jazz, but he did play the blues. He was into the whole swing/blues thing. And what got me into the blues was listening to him play, because when I was a kid he played some kind of New Orleans boogie kind of thing; I was about five or six, and I was just hooked from that point on. And I loved ’50s rock and roll. When I heard Jerry Lee Lewis play, I was like, “Wow!” I love that, or Chuck Berry — which is blues, right? Totally. Chuck Berry is the bridge between old blues and rock . . . single-handedly, really. Right! You’re a trained musician, and blues is a discipline in which many of the players are unschooled. Do you think that informs your playing in a different way? You know, it’s interesting; I started playing when I was very young, and the first thing I played was blues. I played piano first, and I learned by ear, and even though my dad kept trying to — I took formal lessons, but it was just always the underpinning of what I liked. It always resonated in my heart. It’s funny how people are — you can be exposed to all these different types of music, but you’re gonna like what you like! (Laughs). It’s an interesting question, because blues is definitely not something you learn. It’s something you feel. I don’t really know how to answer that question, except for the moment I heard it, I just loved it. Does it make a difference in the blues side of your playing to have had the musical education that you have had? Absolutely. I think what it does is, it’s given me a huge vocabulary of things that I’ve learned that I can inject into the blues. So if I want to take a blues thing into a little different place, a little bit different than it had been, I can kinda throw that in there. Occasionally during a solo, I’ll put in a quote from something else, a little musical quote from something that has nothing to do with the blues (laughs), just to be off the wall! I like to be funny, I like to have fun when I’m playing. And when you listen to my music, it has a lot of different styles of things other than the blues underpinning. Growing up in a show business family, you have had a ringside seat to how interesting it can be, and you’ve also had a ringside seat to how challenging it can be. Did you ever consider doing anything other than that, just because it can be so difficult? That’s a great question. You know, I was raised by a single musician parent. I really got to witness the struggles — being the son of a single musician parent — what he went through. There were times when it was feast, and there were times when it was famine, like they always say. My dad built a studio when I was very young; that was his dream, was to have his own studio. I watched him struggle and put his life savings into it, and it ended up being an amazing studio that he built. You know, I gotta tell you, my first job as a kid was as a janitor at a local school, besides playing gigs — I did both, because I was trying to save up money to buy equipment! (Laughs). And I also worked with a friend of mine whose father was very successful in the garment business here in the city. So I probably could have done that, but it just didn’t resonate with me. I think it takes a lot of guts to be a musician and risk not making any money. You know, it’s scary, because you see so many musicians go through that. You have to have a lot of balls to do it. It’s also like being an entrepreneur, you just have to do what you want to do. You’ve got to follow your passion. I always make a joke, when I’m dragging two guitars and an amp into a gig with me and people are looking at me, I’ll say, “I should have been an attorney!” (Laughs). “I could have been a lawyer! My mother wanted me to be a dentist!” I say it jokingly, but seriously, when it’s in your blood, what are you going to do? My grandfather was a musician — both of them — my dad’s a musician . . . I’m cursed! (Laughs). Looking back on your own career, what are some of the highlights? What stands out for you? It’s interesting, because it keeps changing. I spent many years as a working musician, I worked at a big jingle company here in New York, which was one of my dreams. That’s what my dad did, and I kinda followed in his footsteps. And that was kinda cool. That was one highlight. Before that I had a dream of being a top session guitarist in New York, which I did, and worked with some really cool people. I got to do a session with [Atlantic Records founder] Ahmet Ertegun before he passed away. That was amazing. (Laughs). But you know, really, one of the biggest highlights for me is just to be able to be onstage and just connect with people. I just did a bunch of shows in Norway, and just to meet people from all over the world, that’s such a high for me. Being locked away in the recording studio — which is basically how I grew up, and how I made my living for many, many years — you don’t really get to have that one-on-one connection with people. I got to open for the Yardbirds recently. That was pretty amazing, because all of my heroes played in that band. David Z, who produced my new CD Detonation, got nominated — it’s the first round, and I don’t really know how this works, but he got nominated in the first round for two Grammys for producing my CD. Now I don’t know how the voting process works, but I found out in Norway and I went ‘Oh my God!’ That’s a pretty big highlight. Detonation is more of a rock feel than a straight blues feel, as compared to some of your other efforts. Was that a deliberate choice prior to writing the material, or is it just the way the new material came together? I’ve always been planning on steering my career more in a blues rock place. The first two CDs, I deliberately started them as more of an introduction to who I am, and there’s many facets to the kind of music that I do, so I always try to put a lot of different things in that are still me. But definitely, this third CD was supposed to be more of a rock edge. And the next CD will be something even more along . . . which I’m not gonna tell you what it is, because I want to surprise people with it. But going in another cool direction as well, but still with the blues. How much of this record are you doing in your live shows? I do the whole record when I’m with my band, plus stuff from the other CDs and things that we’re going to be recording as well. That’s always tricky. How do you make that work, giving people that much new material in a set? Well, very carefully. (Laughs). If it’s a 90-minute show, I’ll pick the order for the crowd I’m playing to. I always like to look at the faces in the crowd and get an idea of what I think they’d like. Depending on the crowd; it could be a really hardcore blues crowd, and then I’ll mix in more stuff from my other CDs, or I have covers that I do my own way, too. When you play live, do you play the same solos from the record, or do you improvise? I always try to mix it up and keep it different. I’ll maybe do something like the old solos, but I always try to keep the musicians and myself on their toes, because why regurgitate something? This is not a recital. I think the blues is something that’s alive, it’s constantly changing. There’s certain things that are always the same, and there’s certain things that I like to challenge myself. A bit earlier you mentioned touring the world. Do you find fans in other parts of the world, like Europe or Norway, react differently to this music than in America? You know, it’s amazing, when you go overseas and people who generally come to the shows are people who generally grew up listening to American music, and they’re very into it. They love American music. And when they finally meet someone who’s from America and playing the music, it’s a very big thing to them. It’s so cool to go overseas and have fans. It’s always so exciting to go over there. I realized that a lot of the fans are, it’s like people in the blues/rock world, even though they don’t know each other and they’re from different countries, there’s some similarities to them. They could all be related. They’re like cousins. My friends in Norway are very similar to my friends here in the States. They just speak a different language. They drink a lot more! (Laughs). Oh my God! It’s true. I did more shots of Jagermeister and Aquavit – this drink that they have over there. I’m not a big drinker, but damn! I have to give my liver a break. How does the rest of the year shape up for you? Is it all taken up in touring this record, or will you be going right back into the studio? Through December I’m really busy, and then January is kinda slow. And then we’re doing a tour of the Northeast and into Florida. I’m very excited. We’ve got a lot of good things cooking right now. Do you still like the road life, or is it something that’s necessary to get your music out there? I really do; it’s so exciting to meet new people and connect with therm, and make them feel happy. At least, I hope they feel happy when they listen to my music. It’s fun, and at this point it’s great. I’m really enjoying it. It’s tough being away from my family and my friends, but you know, I make new friends, and I’m hoping to bring my family along, so that would be great. I have a seven-year-old son and a wife. I wrote a song about my son, and it’s even better when he’s there. When they’re seven, you can still write a song about them and they won’t deck you out yet! (Laughs). Is there anything else you want to say about your CD, upcoming touring or anything else? I’m really excited about everything. I’m just so pleased with how people have been receiving the CD. I have so much fun getting up there with my band, plugging in my guitar and playing for people. I just can’t wait to do it for everyone.

http://theworkingmusician.com/reviews/Detonation.html THE WORKING MUSICIAN “Detonation” CD Review Dave Fields “Detonation” www.DaveFields.com CDBaby.com/CD/DaveFields3 CD review by Roger-Z (12/20/12) On Dave Fields’ third CD, “Detonation,” he shifts his attention from blues to rock. Paying homage to rock god, Jimi Hendrix, Fields slyly nods to classic Hendrix hooks in virtually every tune. Fields used his working band consisting of himself (vocals, guitars), Andy Huenerberg (bass), Kenny Soule (drums). and Vladimir Barsky (keys). Other participants included Deena Miller and Ada Dyer (background vocals), Doug Inrich (percussion), and Dennis Moriarty (harmonica). Fields wrote or co-wrote (with Deena Miller) all of the songs. Grammy winner, David Z, produced, recorded and mixed the CD. “Detonation” fully lives up to its incendiery title. Fields clearly enjoys cuddling up to his bad-ass, leather-jacket persona. “Addicted to Your Fire” kicks the record off with a wink at “Foxy Lady.” “I’m addicted to your fire. Got that 9-1-1 attraction. Your passion’s like a nuclear reaction.” “In The Night” channels Humble Pie until the first backward sounding riffs kick in and we sight the Hendrix halo. “Doin Hard Time” finds Fields dueting with Alligator Record’s Joe Louis Walker. The tune features hard core, fat, tremelo-steeped guitar reverberating on a classic theme. “I’m doing hard time. But I committed no crime. But I admit to be guilty of lovin’ you.” On “Prophet In Disguise,” we get the classic “Are You Experienced” backward, windshield wiper sounds. “It’s not confusing cause I’m sure you’ll surmise. You’re a prophet in disguise.” “Better Be Good” channels the funky, jazz groove of Hendrix’s “Up From the Skies.” The instrumental, “Lydia,” initially grasps that “Waterfall” feeling until it goes all Zeppelin on itself. Funnily enough, two of my favorite songs eschew Hendrix. In a sane world, “Same Old Me” would bust out as a top-40 hit. “It’s not a declaration of war if I don’t agree with you no more. It’s just my mind has changed. The old me has been rearranged… Please love the same old me.” What a great, enlightened and innovative guitar solo. Standout bass playing. Then, a world apart from all this heaviness, “Bad Hair Day” reggaes down on a hilarious topic. “How could my mind get so wrapped up in my behind… But I’m not gonna lose my mind. I’m not gonna waste, any of my precious time. Even if it feels like a bad hair day.” Dave Fields gives great Hendrix. But that’s just a jumping off point. He takes Hendrix and raises him to another level. Long may Dave Fields rock!

Dave Fields Detonation Field of Roses Records BluesWax Rating: 8 Ignited Dave Fields first came to national attention when he produced Roxy Perry’s Back in Bluesville. That CD won the Best Self-Produced CD Award at the 2006 International Blues Challenge. In 2007, Fields released Times A Wastin’ and in 2008 followed it with All Wound Up. Detonation is Field’s third recording. Fields is highly skilled guitarist and vocalist. His band consists of Andy Huenerberg on bass, Vladimir Barsky on keyboards, and Kenny Soule playing drums. Doug Hinrichs is added on percussion on all but three tracks. The album is produced by David Z. “Addicted to Your Fire” is pure blues rock and it sets the pace for this eclectic bunch of originals. “Doin’ Hard Time” features Joe Louis Walker as guest on second guitar, and he also shares in the vocals. Fields gets in a groove on “Better Be Good,” which features Dennis Moriarty on harp. Another favorite of mine is the bluesy “Pocket Full of Dust.” “Bad Hair Day” is built around a reggae or ska beat and features background vocalists Deena Miller and Ada Dyer. “Same Old Me” displays a sensitive Fields and he dedicates this song to his father. “In The Night” and “Prophet in Disguise” are both more classic in their approach. “The Altar” has a definite George Harrison quality, while “Lydia” is a wonderful six-minute instrumental on which Fields really gets to work out. Soule’s drumming on these songs give them that classic rock feeling. Fields closes with “You Will Remember Me.” Fields draws inspiration from various influences, including blues, rock, and reggae. This is Field’s best recording to date and should further establish him as a contender in the blues-rock category. Richard Ludmerer is a contributing editor at BluesWax. http://bluesrevue.com/2012/11/dave-fields-detonation-11-09-12/#

National News Bureau November 7, 2012 “Detonation” is another sensational rock album by Dave Fields. The man has two sides–rock and blues and he holds every note with his magical guitar and powerful voice until you feel it. He makes you listen. A “must buy” album. BLUES BLAST Featured Blues Review Dave Fields – Detonation Field of Roses Records http://www.davefields.com 12 songs; 63:13 minutes Styles: Modern Electric Blues Rock One of the most perplexing, and perennial, questions surrounding blues music is: “Who can truly discern the difference between what blues is, and what it’s not?” So far, there’s no clear consensus. Consider NYC native Dave Fields. On the one hand, his blues credentials are impressive. Hubert Sumlin commented, “When I first heard him, I knew he had something special. When Dave plays, he plays with such passion.” Also, on May 20th of this year, he was inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame. On the other hand, his third CD, “Detonation,” is primarily a rock album according to this blues-protegee reviewer. Several of his nine original rock songs are quite clever, especially the Scientology indictment “Dr [sic] Ron” and reggae-influenced “Bad Hair Day.” However, they pale in comparison to Fields’ three original blues numbers. Joining him for the first time are Andy Huenerburg on bass, Kenny Soule on drums, and Russian sensation Vladimir Barsky on keyboards. Track 03–“Doin’ Hard Time”–Blues maverick Joe Louis Walker guest-stars on guitar and vocals with Dave on this gritty ballad. It begins with four sensational pieces of guitar phrasing, then launches into a tale of a “prisoner of the heart.” Ultimately, eerie images of execution prevail: “In the prison yard they swear: the inmates and the jailors say he’d be happier in the electric chair.” What’s our narrator’s capital offense? “I admit to be guilty of loving you…” Undoubtedly, this is the best blues selection on “Detonation”. Track 07–“Better Be Good”–This tongue-in-cheek track is a lament on the present state of our world, and a take on the Golden Rule. Oddly enough, the printed liner notes to this album contain a lyrical error: “And you better be, better be good to yourself, and you better be good to everyone else. ‘Cause if you don’t know, one will.” It should be, “‘Cause if you don’t, no one will,” putting responsibility for reciprocity on the listener. Once again, Fields’ rip-roaring guitar combines with savvy lyrics to form a wickedly fun blues shuffle. Track 09–“Pocket Full of Dust”–Dave’s vocals are showcased to their fullest effect here, as are Barsky’s haunting keyboards. Our narrator compares himself to “a ghost on a midnight train to nowhere” since he lost his true love. When it comes to slow blues, listeners will be hard-pressed to find flaws in this gem. Did an engagement ring once occupy the “Pocket Full of Dust”? “Detonation” was produced by Grammy-winning David Z, who has promoted household-name stars such as Prince, Government Mule and Johnny Lang. Even though nine out of its eleven offerings may not be blues songs, one thing’s clear: Fields’ guitar shines through on every one! Reviewer Rainey Wetnight is a 33 year old female Blues fan. She brings the perspective of a younger blues fan to reviews. A child of 1980s music, she was strongly influenced by her father’s blues music collection. 9

ON YOUR SIDE Greenville, NC CBS Affiliate August 27, 2012 Blues Guitarist Fields discusses His New Album, Detonation Good morning, everyone. As promised, I’ve got a second interview to share with you this morning. Those of you that read my blog each day will remember that I recently reviewed the new album from bluesman Dave Fields. Well I was lucky enough to interview Dave and discuss his new album. Now you get to check out our conversation for yourselves. His new album, “Detonation” is out now, by the way! Enjoy! RR –Let’s focus on this new album to start things off. In comparison to your first two records, this one has definitely seen you branch out and really show your chops more than ever. When or how did the change come about on this album? Was it a conscious choice, or was it just something natural that happened? DF — People would come up to me after seeing one of my shows and tell me that they loved my recordings but my live shows had a certain fire that the recordings lack. This CD is for the most part “live” in the studio with very little overdubs. My hope was that it would capture the fire of a “live” Dave Fields show. RR – Staying on “Detonation”, I think my personal favorite song is ‘Bad Hair Day.’ You’ve gone from blues early on in the record to reggae. Speaking of branching out, this is definitely a far cry from your previous material. Yet you really aced it. Can you talk to me about how this song came to life? DF — HA! This is a funny story. This song is 100% about going to a hair stylist and having them cut my hair in an unexpected way! The day after I had this unexpected haircut, I woke up and really looked at my hair. I was very upset. Upon examining my feelings and seeing how silly it was that I would get that upset over a hair cut I decided to write ‘Bad Hair Day’! I guess we all over react over silly things in our lives. This song was all about poking fun at myself! RR – One of your influences noted on this record is Jimi Hendrix. That’s especially the case with the album’s opener, ‘Addicted to your Fire.’ To me personally, I do hear a hint of Jimmy. But I hear more Stevie Ray Vaughan than Jimi. Were you going for one or the other specifically? DF — Jimi Hendrix is one of my biggest influences and there are many musical moments on this CD that pay homage to him. I love Stevie Ray Vaughan but if I sound like him on this CD its because we both listened to Jimi! RR – I really enjoyed your song ’Doing Hard Time.’ That is such a great old school twelve bar blues style song. The inclusion of Joe Louis Walker was a great addition to it, too. Can you talk to me about how that partnership came about? DF — When I met Joe on The Legendary Blues Cruise a few years back, I felt an instant connection with him. It seems like every time I see him that connection grows. When we hang out or when we play I always feel like I know what’s in his soul. He’s a kindred spirit. That’s why I wanted him to be included on this CD. RR – Did you personally have one song that you really enjoyed writing more than any other on this record? DF — They all come from a personal place and personal experiences in my life. There are two songs: ‘You Will Remember Me’. This song sounds like a love song but it’s really written to my mother who disappeared from my life when I was 4 and ‘Same Old Me’ which is written for my father who was my greatest musical influence. RR – I want to change gears for just a moment. In doing my research for this interview, I noticed you recently had a big honor. You were inducted into the New York Chapter of the Blues Hall of Fame. What was your reaction when you were told that you were going to be inducted? DF — Wow…! It was such a great, great honor to be included…. Not to mention I was inducted the same day as some of my hero’s: Will Lee, Jon Paris and Gary US Bonds (just to name a few). RR – Looking at your tour schedule, you’ve got lots of dates in the northeast. I’m probably sounding a bit naive here, but I’m kind of curious about this. You’re also touring in Europe. Blues is a popular genre here in the U.S. But not mainstream popular. What’s the general take on the blues overseas? Have you seen any difference? DF — It’s an amazing thing to play shows over seas and see in the audience both young kids in the early 20’s AND people in their 60’s really into this music and in the same club. Blues music has a universal appeal. Also there’s a certain electricity that happens in the audience at shows overseas. In Europe they grow up listening to blues and American music so when they see someone from the US they go crazy! RR – Staying on the tour topic, looking at your tour dates, for your fans out there. Are the dates listed on your website, http://www.davefields.com, your full slate of tour dates, or can fans expect more dates to be announced? DF — New dates keep popping up. We’re in a booking frenzy now! Stayed tuned to the website to keep updated! RR – You still consider yourself “a student” of music and guitar, despite your popularity, that’s rare among musicians today. I’d love to know how you keep yourself so grounded in a business that’s all about ego. DF — I’m not just a student of music I’m a student of life and it can be very humbling when you’re a student! I’ve tried live my life in an inquisitive way. I feel there’s always so much to learn from life and other people. To me, that’s one of the joys of living, discovering new exciting things and new ways to express them. Hey, I’m excited about what I will learn in the future! RR – I’ve just got one last question before I have to go. You’re a very popular artist, as we’ve already discussed. So for those listeners who have yet to hear your music, what one thing would you want them to know more than anything that you hope would get them interested in your music? DF — I want the new listeners to know they will go on a musical journey that will wind through a myriad of emotions, feelings and thoughts and in the end I would want them to feel inspired, uplifted and like they had a fun time listening to the CD. DF — P.s. These are GREAT questions! Thanks for asking them!

SEATTLE PI REVIEW Seattle, WA September 10, 2012 Music Review: Dave Fields- Detonation When I get a new release to review where the lead performer is billed as a “contemporary blues/rock guitarist/singer/songwriter,” I get nervous. Whether I like the album or not, I know I’ll be straining and stretching to find fresh adjectives and new ways to describe the artist that will distinguish them from all the other contemporary blues rock guitarists out there who sing and write their own material. Then again, this is a genre I can’t get enough of. Produced by David Z, Detonation isn’t Dave Fields’ debut collection. Time’s A Wastin (2007) and All Wound Up (2008) contained singles like “Still Itchin'” and “Train To My Heart,” the latter a tune John Mayall recorded on his 2009 Tough. Despite being completely ignorant of these discs, I can easily say I liked Dave Fields’ Detonation from the first notes of the opening track, “Addicted to Fire.” It reminded me a bit of Sly and the Family Stone if Jimi Hendrix had been their axeman. Now, that’s the first pitfall for a reviewer, comparing and contrasting new folks-at least new to me-with the names of those who readers are likely to be familiar with. But it’s not hard to think of Hendrix when hearing Fields bending, twisting, phasing, crunching, wah-wahing, drawing every note out, rather than simply playing fluid, linear solos. And he does all that in nearly every song. As Detonation progressed, I kept thinking more and more that Fields is in the direct lineage of Stevie Ray Vaughn. For one matter, his supporting band sounds eerily like Double Trouble with the group consisting of Andy Huenerberg (bass), Kenny Soule (drums), and Vladimir Barsky (keyboards). Barsky, in particular, really fills the space around Fields, and the rhythm section provides the drive, allowing the front man to take off on his flights and jams. This is especially true of hard rockin’ blues numbers like “Doin Hard Time” and the traditional slow blues on “Pocket Full Of Dust.” To be clear, my comparisons to Vaughn refer to the musicianship and not the vocals. This isn’t to say Fields is in any way deficient in that department, but rather that his usually raspy voice isn’t reminiscent of anyone in particular, at least any singer that springs to my mind. Beyond the blues tradition, many of the songs evoke completely different musical forbearers. The slow proclamation about freeing your mind, “Prophet In Disguise,” is very, very Hendrix and a real flashback to the late ’60s. The humorous “Bad Hair Day” is funky reggae and “Same Old Me” is a slow ballad in the mold of Journey, Kansas, or Styx with a smoother vocal delivery than Fields’ rougher tunes. The instrumental “Lydia” has touches of Jimmy Page, one of Field’s admitted influences. The album concludes with the very poppy “You Will Remember Me,” which might earn airplay on stations that don’t emphasize the pure blues. In short, Detonation offers a wide palate of electric music, with the only real consistency being Fields virtuosity on his axe. The guitar, after all, is the topic he refers to most frequently throughout the lyrics of his songs. In the end, I wouldn’t describe him as blues rock-I’d say rock blues. However one tips the formula, it’s an energetic program by a man so clearly in love with his music. While I’m behind the curve discovering Dave Fields, I hope Detonation is typical of his earlier work. I see I have some catching up to do. That is, after playing Detonation again and a bit louder. I hope Stevie Ray will forgive me. I suspect, if he was still with us, he’d get “Addicted to Fire” as well. View the original article on blogcritics.org

GUITAR INTERNATIONAL INTERVIEW October 9, 2012 Blazing blues guitar master Dave Fields has rocketed into 2012 with his new explosive albu m, Detonation. With a new record simply overflowing with punching solos and dynamite vocals. This New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee gives the best performance of his musical career to date. Detonation proudly boasts a ballsy mixture of hard rock and the blues that will hook any rock ‘n’ roller on the first listen, as well as some hi-test elaborate shredding that all guitarists I know will definitely appreciate. I recently sat down with Dave to talk about his latest masterpiece, his biggest influences, as well as some of his latest collaborations. ****** William Clark: You’ve been busy making a pretty big name for yourself. You were recently inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. Dave Fields: That was amazing to be on the same stage as so many of my New York heroes, like I was inducted with the famous bass player, who’s the bass player for The Letterman Show, Will Lee. And I was inducted with John Harrison, a New York blues guitar legend. And even though he’s not from New York, Gary U.S. Bonds, was also there and it was amazing to hear him sing. It still wows me. You know, it was a great honor to be part of that. God, I’m still pinching myself! [Laughs] William: I have to say that after listening to your new album, Detonation, it’s no surprise to me why you were inducted. Detonation features several different styles of music as well as some fantastic guitar playing. Songs like, “Addicted To Your Fire”, have a more hard rocking sound, while others like “Pocket Full of Dust” show your slower, bluesier side. Did you have a concept for the album or did you just shoot from the hip and roll out the songs you liked best? Dave Fields: Yeah, well you know what they say about New York City; it’s a melting pot of so many different cultures, and it’s also the melting pot of so many different styles of music. As a kid, my dad was a notable songwriter and producer, and he made sure that I was innovated with all different kinds of music. You know, classical, to rock, to jazz, to pop, to hip-hop, just about anything he liked to bring home and listen to. And I’m more than just the blues, I’m all these things. New York blues is really the combination of so many different styles of music. It’s funky, jazzy, it’s rocky. But I didn’t really have the chance to show of the funky and R&B side in the new record. I did have a couple songs planned that didn’t quite make it to the CD, but anyway all my CDs always have a different variety of music because that’s just who I am. I’m more than just one style, and I’m more than just the blues. William: Who are some of your biggest influences, and how do you feel they surface in your own music? Dave Fields:I have many influences. I think you can hear quite a bit of Jimi Hendrix all over the CD, and I tell people that my inner Jimi Hendrix comes out on just so many of these new songs. But, I also listen to so many guitar players. God, I listen to Eric Clapton, Roy Clark, Danny Gatton, George Henson, Alan Holdsworth, and I took what I liked from all these people and incorporated it into what I do. And believe it or not, if I had my way, I would probably have an even broader range of songs on the new album. But, that’s not something you would be able to sell as easily, you know what I mean? For marketing purposes, you’ve got to keep it down a bit! [Laughs] And might I add, I’ve also had many influences that are not guitar players. I listen to a lot of great harmonica players, a lot of great saxophone players like Charlie Parker, and a lot of great piano players that are all big influences in my music. William: What was it like working with blues legend Joe Louis Walker on “Doin’ Hard Time”? Dave Fields: Great. You know, I just played a show with Joe last weekend, and every time I hang out with him, we’re on the stage and we play together, I just feel so much love coming from the guy. I just love him! You know, he’s just a really special guy. I just feel everytime I hang out with him and get to play, we just have amazing chemistry. It’s funny, this one time we got of the stage, and Joe goes, “Hey, man! You’re another manic guitar player like me!”. I said, “Well, I don’t know if I’m manic, but I am definitely a guitar player like you”. I mean, he approaches the guitar the same way I do. We try to play something new and different, something exciting, and everytime I play with him I walk away with a full heart. That’s what it’s like working with Joe. William: Delmar Brown also gives a rap and organ solo during “Bad Hair Day”. What are your thoughts about these versatile collaborations? Dave Fields: Yeah, let me talk a little about Delmar, here. He is a New York city legend. The man is just an outright genius. He is one of the most incredible piano players, singers, and electrifying performers that I’ve ever seen in my whole life. He’s another one where every time we play together there’s always some electrical spark that’s gonna happen. For years we played together at the Bitter End All-Star Jam, and I was just so pumped up to play with him because I knew something cool was gonna happen. So, when it came around to recording the CD, I knew I had to include him. I just had to capture his energy on the CD for people to hear. William: Besides those two great collaborations, do you have any other personal favorites on the new disc? Dave Fields:You know, it’s funny, because it changes from day-to-day. But, I really love the last song, “You Will Remember Me”. I think musically and lyrically it’s something that comes from a very personal part of myself and I just love the way it turned out. I love the song, I like the performance, I like the meaning of it, and I think it turned out beautifully. William: How do you feel Detonation compares to your previous two releases, Time’s A Wastin’ and All Wound Up? Dave Fields: The first two CDs were produced by me, they have a more studio quality sound as well as more rootsy influences. Whereas this new CD is basically live-in-the-studio, and was produced, recorded, and mixed by legendary producer David Z, and that was an amazing collaboration working with him. He’s just an amazing producer and I have the utmost respect for him. And I was hoping for Detonation to capture the live essence and fire of a Dave Fields show, and hopefully it does that. I love how my vocals turned out, because I made a big leap in my singing, and the songs definitely have a lot more rock sound, which was something I always wanted to have in a single CD. William: What do you want fans to take away after listening to Detonation? Dave Fields: I hope that they would be inspired, and that they would have a smile on their face. I think of myself as an entertainer who can reflect the things about life that everybody can relate to, and bring everybody together. So I hope after listening to the album they feel good, feel inspired, and have a full heart. But, that’s just the short answer! [Laughs] William: I have one last question for you, and I’ve got to ask: are there any plans to venture out of New York and get a national tour going to support Detonation? Dave Fields: Yes there is! And I have to say that from October 16th to October 30th we’re gonna be in Norway, and I always have a good time being there. Right now it looks like we’re doing the Tampa Bay Blues Festival and Swinging With The Blues, in April of 2013. So it looks like we’re booking a whole tour around those dates. They’re not on the calendar yet, but we’re booking for next year as we speak, so they’ll hopefully be set up soon. ‘Detonation’ of the Blues:an Interview with Dave Fields Part 2 September 29, 2012 How did you come to select David Z as your producer for ‘Detonation’? Well, I’d met David Z in Memphis a few years ago, and the second I met him he struck me as being such a nice, easy-going guy. I liked him instantly. He was very approachable and didn’t have a weird attitude. That’s how he is: just a great guy! So when my manager and I were looking for a producer he was one of the first people I thought of. It was a process of weeding out people, and he kept bugging me, he kept calling me. He’d say: “Hey, I’d really like to do this!” He kept in contact with me. So he ended up getting the gig! He was persistent with me, and truthfully he’s the perfect blend of blues, rock, tradition and innovation. He’s got that long career of working with all these people; he worked with all my heroes. Also, he’s a fabulous engineer…and he’s an Aries like me (we both start laughing) Honey, it was meant to be! Kismet! It was meant to be! Yeah, it was meant to be. Kismet! ‘Addicted to Your Fire’ has been described as the stylistic bridge between your previous album (2007’s ‘Time’s a ‘Wastin’ and 2008’s ‘All Wound Up’) . Would you say that is a fair assessment? Yeah. Absolutely. That’s one of the songs that has the ‘inner Jimi Hendrix’ coming out… guitar-wise at least. Musically if not lyrically. It made sense for me to go into that direction because I’m kinda leaping away from the blues world into the rock world. Being that I came from this ‘Hendrix school’ among so many other musicians, and not just guitar players, it just felt right to me when I was writing it. Track number three ‘Doin’ Hard Time’ features the guitar and vocals of Grammy and Blues Music Award winner Joe Louis Walker.” I’m told it was a special thrill for you working with him on that track. Oh yeah. As I tell everybody it’s always a blast playing with Joe. I get so much hanging out with him; he’s like a kindred spirit to me. It’s weird, I feel like he could have been a family member to me, someone I grew up with. He’s tells me: “Dave, you’re just another manic guitar player like me!” but I’m not really a ‘manic’ guy, he is, lol! It’s so funny because I’m gonna see him Saturday, I’m opening up for him. I just look forward to hangin’ out with him so much. I can feel what’s in his heart whenever I’m with him: whether he’s sad or funny or whatever. I love the guy, I really love him! You’ve been quoted as saying: “I still consider myself a student of music and guitar.” Do you feel that attitude helps to keep you music fresh? Oh yeah! I get inspired by music and listening to other musicians. Not just music but artists, by humanity, by life! Music is the thing that has kept me going when I was sad and when things were darker. It inspired me to go to higher places. One of the things I tell myself when I wake up in the morning is ‘What exciting things can I do today? What exciting music can I hear today? What exciting music can I write today?’ It’s innately in my character to constantly challenge myself that way. Speaking of being a “student” I think our readers will be surprised to learn who your very first ‘teacher’ was: your father Sammy Fields! Would you tell our readers a bit about your famous dad, and how he helped to shape your talents and career in music. He was an amazing teacher! He was from the South; grew up just outside of Jacksonville, Florida. He moved to New York when he was still young. He would come home and say: “David, I just got this new CD and I need you to hear it! I really like this band and I like these chord changes right here!” Then he’d play me whoever it was, and then he’d go to the piano and play it for me, explain it to me. Then when I was old enough to play instruments he wouldn’t buy me a guitar; I had to play a piano first. So I got my hands on a bass. He said: “You can play bass first before you get a guitar!” So I took it with me to all my gigs-it’d be a wedding or something that he’d be doing-and I had to move all the equipment. So that was part of my training:to be a roadie! That first gig I played bass. I could play just enough bass-it was kinda simple what he was doing-to get through the night. He’d tell me the changes in the song. Then when we got to the third gig he told me: “OK, now I’m not gonna tell you the changes!” I then had to memorize things and I figured out how he was thinking about things; how the harmony would go. It was amazing ear-training. So many things he did! I would miss school to go to recording sessions. After he’d been up all night writing a score for an orchestra or a Big Band-whatever it was he was doing-I’d sit in the studio with him and listen/see what he had written. I’d hang out with these great engineers, see the mics and everything! He recorded in the best studios in New York City and he had the top musicians of the time. After the gig, he’d tell me: “That was great, but you don’t play with any dynamic! I’d really like you to work on your finger-picking.” I was playing with a pic all the time. So today that’s something I do: play with my fingers all the time. Eventually my dad built himself a studio in our house, like a killer studio, like where Barbara Streisand or Stevie Wonder would record. A serious studio! Part of my training was I had to wire all the lights in the studio (laughs) so I paid my dues! But I guess that musicians are always paying their dues, that’s just how it is. Back then, artists seldom built private home studios for themselves, unlike today. I was very fortunate to be around him and all that. That’s why when I got to be a grown man I decided that this was the direction I wanted to go into, but more of a producer and part of a music service rather than just being a performer. There were books of things he would say to me! I was so lucky to have that, oh my God! You can’t get that kind of training out of a book. You have to get it from human experience and intuition. It was all an apprenticeship, and I think that’s a great way to learn music. You can go to school and learn stuff, but to actually be there and live it with somebody who’s done it all. My dad was a genius! With your enormous body of work in such diverse genres as film, radio, Broadway and studio albums do you have a favorite genre? That I’ve worked in? I don’t have a favorite genre. There’s ones that I like more than others. There’s been a time when I played a certain style of music and I kinda overdosed on it. I’d have to say that the blues has always been the lynch pin of what I’ve loved. It started with that as a young kid, and like my dad I’ve always tried to find the good things in music. The most important thing with me is people being sincere with me. If they’re real with me then they can almost do anything. They don’t have to be necessarily good musicians, but if that’s how they feel and it’s real then it’s great! I don’t like people trying to fool me or trying to impress me with something that’s cerebral, although sometimes people have these amazing musical minds that think of exercises that are amazing. If it hits me in the heart then I like it. How would you like future generations to remember you as both an artist and a man? I would hope that I inspired people to go to higher places by having them watch me play or buy my music. I hope I have the opportunity to contribute to the world by making people happy. I know that’s why I’m here: to bring happiness to people. There’s nothing more amazing in this world than to see another human being smile, and if it’s because of something I’ve played or sang or performed then that makes it even more special to me. The older I get, the more I realize that one of the most amazing human things, one of the things that humans need the most, is to connect with other humans. That’s what I’m about, even when I get mad when somebody cuts me off when I’m driving (laughs). Living in New York City is about connecting with human beings; that’s why we’re here. It’s one of the most beautiful things that you can experience as a human: to connect with other human beings! Photo courtesy of Judy Tucker Fields. Copyright 2012 ‘Detonation’ is available at Amazon.com and CD Baby: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008FXNRS6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p340_d5_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=02CYGKQ2KAB2833 http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davefields3 Be sure to check out Dave Fields’ Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/fieldsmusic?fref=ts

EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE September 2012 Title – ‘Detonation’ (Field Of Roses Records) Artist – Dave Fields Known as the New York boss guitar man, Dave Fields discovered his love for the guitar at age 13 and was soon playing on sessions with his father, and writing his first score for a big band at age 16. Indeed, at high school, Dave had been exposed to some of the top session musicians, composers and arrangers in America. All these years later and he may well have crafted himself a niche within the business as a different kind of bluesman, but his seriousness for the blues has established him some major credentials within it. And so here on his latest CD, Detonation we get to find out more about what’s behind this blues renaissance man’s door. The album kicks off with the frenetic rock of ‘Addicted To Your Fire,’ before the early Funkadelic-vibe of ‘In The Night’ comes forth. The contemporary Blues rock guitarist/singer/songwriter continues the musical love fest with the hard guitar playin’ of prison song ‘Doin’ Hard Time,’ a track that also features Joe Louis Walker. A multiple Grammy and WC Handy Award winner, Walker is one of the most heralded blues artists of our time and his presence here on this track is beyond incredible. The ethnic-sounding ‘Prophet In Disguise’ is next, with a sterling reggae-based ‘Bad Hair Day’ (featuring pianist/keyboard player Delmar Brown) along thereafter. The dirty soul of ‘The Altar’ comes along next, with the storming blues stomp of ‘Better Be Good’ then backed by the more sedate ‘Same Old Me,’ before the pitched guitars come back around for the ’60s-inspired ‘Pocket Full Of Dust.’ The fantastic, fresh album comes to a close with the hard musical fuzz of ‘Dr Ron,’ with both the ballad ‘Lydia’ and the Blues fun of ‘You Will Remember Me’ along for the ride next. www.DaveFields.com

BLINDED BY SOUND REVIEW September 25, 2012 CD Review: Dave Fields – Detonation New York blues guitarist, Dave Fields’ new CD, Detonation, is making people take notice. Big City Rhythm‘n’Blues magazine opined, Detonation explodes with a harder rocking sound as Fields works through a variety of styles touching on classic rock and reggae mixed in with a blast of blues.” While Detonation is indeed more rock-oriented than his previous two releases, the recent New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee still manages to incorporate the blues for his most diverse album yet. Fields channels his inner-Hendrix with the scorching album opener, “Addicted To Your Fire,” mixing a strong vocal with his wah-drenched guitar leads. Keyboardist Vladimir Barsky helps propel the song with fluid organ lines in this killer opener. Joe Louis Walker joins Fields for a duet on “Doin Hard Time,” a slow-burning blues workout. The two singers and guitarists play well off each other both vocally and musically in this strong track cut live in the studio. Fields explores 1960s psychedelia on “Prophet in Disguise,” a melodic track with an Eastern-influenced guitar lick. Backwards guitars further color this time trip, which is one of the highlights of the disc. On “Bad Hair Day,” Fields mixes reggae with the blues, vowing not to let his hair get him down. Delmar Brown contributes an organ solo and vocal rap to this fun track. “Better Be Good” offers social commentary amidst a laid-back blues groove that recalls Stevie Ray Vaughan. Fields delivers a strong vocal against some of his best playing on the album. Fields wrings every possible note out of his guitar on the gut-wrenching ballad, “Pocket Full of Dust.” His playing strong, yet understated, Fields’ pop sense allows him to play to serve the song, making his leads all the more impactful. Detonation was produced by David Z, who has worked with artists as diverse as Prince, Johnny Lang, Etta James, and Buddy Guy. No stranger to big names himself; Fields has worked with the likes of U2, Hubert Sumlin and Aretha Franklin. On Detonation, Fields pushes the boundaries of what a blues-rock album can be while staying true to his roots. Fields gave BlindedBySound an exclusive interview about this outstanding new record and playing with some of his heroes.

BLINDED BY SOUND September 25, 2012 Interview: Dave Fields Discusses New Album ‘Detonation’ Blinded by Sound had a chance to interview New York blues guitarist, Dave Fields. He spoke about his new album, Detonation, playing with Hubert Sumlin, building guitars and some of his influences. “Addicted to Your Fire” has a definite Hendrix vibe to it, as does the solo to “Prophet in Disguise.” Who are some of the players, past and present, that you try to emulate? There is a long list of guitarists that I listened to. I would try to emulate them just so I could understand what they were doing then incorporate the essence of what I had learned into my own playing. As a kid, some of my favorite guitarists were Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry and Eric Clapton. I also listened to the likes of George Benson, Alan Holdsworth and Roy Clark. I feel like I’m always discovering some new guitarist that I love. By the way, I get inspired by music not just guitarists. Lately I’ve been on a Fredric Chopin kick! Also my Dad, noted composer-arranger-producer Sammy “Forever” Fields who was the most important musical influence in my life, guided my development by infusing many different styles of music into my listening diet. Detonation is more rock-oriented than your previous two releases. Was there a reason for the stylistic shift? It’s always been my plan to take what I do into a more rock sound. Hey, I love the classic blues guys like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf but growing up in NYC there was more than just the blues, there was this things called rock! Detonation is the channel between both of my blues and rock worlds I live in. I’ve always said that I’m more than just the blues. Being a musician in NYC you can’t help but to be exposed to many different styles of music. Blues and rock and jazz for that matter have always been in my soul. This CD is an expression of that. “Doin’ Hard Time,” where you share vocals and guitar duties with Joe Louis Walker, is a great blues track. How did you guys end up hooking up for the song? I met Joe on The Legendary Blues Cruise and the second I met him I knew we had to play together. When Joe would come to some of my NYC gigs and sit in, it was always magic. The producer of Detonation, David Z, and my manager Sandi Rose loved the idea of having Joe as a special guest. When he agreed to do it I was thrilled! I love the chemistry we have when we play. By the way, that guitar performance on “Doin Hard Time” was live in the studio! You’ve played with an eclectic range of artists from U2 to Aretha Franklin and even got to front the late, great Hubert Sumlin’s band for a tour. Was it intimidating to be playing with such a blues legend? Did he share any good Howlin’ Wolf stories (That we can print)? Hubert had so many great stories. He was an angel sent from the blues gods. I miss him so much. He told me so many amazing stories. However, as a tribute to Hubert I’d like to share a personal story: A few years back I was on the same bill as Hubert. I had performed the set before Hubert so I was backstage watching his show. At the end of Hubert’s show, a long line of people gathered to get the legend’s autograph. At the top of the line there was a youngster with his guitar, he couldn’t have been more than thirteen years old. Hubert took one look at the young man and sat him down next to him in a quiet part of the dressing room and in the most beautiful, loving way, that only a person like Hubert could do, counseled the aspiring musician, asking him questions and giving advice for the next fifteen minutes. It was one of the most touching, poignant moments I’ve seen and one I will always treasure. Hubert’s kindness was truly inspirational. But that’s the kind of person he was. Pure inspiration. Congratulations on your recent induction to the NY Blues Hall of Fame. Did you ever imagine when you started playing that you’d receive such accolades? Thank you! Its like a dream come true! As a musician you work hard, you practice, pay your dues, play gigs, pay more dues, makes CDs, did I mention pay dues?!!! To get recognition like this is great honor…! What’s next for Dave Fields? I’m really excited about playing these new songs with my band: Andy Huenerberg (Bass) and Kenny Soule (Drums) Vladimir Barsky (Keys). We are going to Norway Oct 16th-29th, then a bunch of shows in the Northeast. Right now we’re in a booking frenzy for next year. I do know that I’m slated to perform at The Tampa Bay Blues Festival in April 2013. I’m also excited about starting my next CD and I can’t wait to reveal what it will be! (That’s a secret!) Just a little aside: On the cover of Detonation you can see my new guitar “Tiger Rose.” It’s a guitar that I assembled from custom-made parts. I’m working on my next guitar-creation of which I hope to unveil soon!

Boomerocity.com DETONATION Interview http://www.boomerocity.com/davefields.html By Randy Patterson Last month I had the privilege of reviewing a CD of an artist who I had only very recently became aware of. The CD was entitled Detonation and the artist is a great guitarist by the name of Dave Fields. The album is great, the sounds addicting and the whole approach is fresh and new. I knew that, after listening to the CD for a bazillion times, I wanted to interview the up and coming guitar slinger and so it was. Mr. Fields called me from his Manhattan apartment to discuss Detonation, his career and, of course, guitars. As we started off our chat, I asked Dave what the reception has been so far to Detonation. “It’s been amazing. People have really loved the CD and I’m pleased with the way it’s been going. You know, it’s already number eight on the RMR Top Fifty Blues charts after ten days. I just couldn’t be more pleased. It’s number twenty on the House of Blues charts. It’s been wonderful. Everybody keeps telling me that this is a great next CD for me to do. It’s my third one. Exactly what I wanted to have happen is people embrace it that way.” As Fields mentioned, Detonation is his third album, following 2008’s All Wound Up and Time’s A Wastin (2007). I asked him how this album was it different for him personally, technically, musically, and process-wise, than the other albums. “Well, you know, I’m a producer in my own right. I produced a CD that one ‘Best Blues CD’ in 2006 at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. I have a long track record of producing things. And on this CD we actually hired David Z – who is a Grammy winning producer – to do the CD because I wanted to try to capture something live in the studio. I wanted to capture the essence of Dave Fields live and it’s very hard for me to be playing and doing my thing and producing myself live. It’s very tough. “We put the whole band in the studio which is, basically – what the CD is – with minimum overdubs. We just kind of did the whole thing live. All the guitar solos and lead vocals are basically live. “So, what I had also done in the process was I rehearsed the band as best as I could. We picked the songs with David Z. He came a couple of weeks earlier to New York. We had it all ready to go, went into the studio, we played, got the best takes and, hopefully, people will hear the fire. “My first two CD’s were more ‘studio’ CDs. There were a couple of tunes that were live in the studio like this. I crafted some of the songs – and being that I’m an engineer, too – I record in a certain way. David Z had a completely different approach to the way he did things. He’s more old-school about everything. It turned out beautiful. I’m still pinching myself from working with him! He’s a wonderful guy.” As I’ve said before in other interviews: Long ago I gave up on asking artists what their favorite song on their latest album so I wasn’t going to ask Dave any question of the sort. However, what I did ask him was: if there was only one song off of Detonation that could be listened to as a sample before one were to decide whether to buy it, what song would he point them to? “Well, you know, that’s a very subjective question because it will change with how I’m feeling that day. If it’s somebody off the street and I have no idea who they are – hmmm, that’s a good question. I will tell you that all of the songs are about personal things that have happened to me – with the exception of one that I kind of crafted. Lately, though, I have been loving, You Will Remember Me, which is the last song. To me it’s the most powerful one on a personal level. They all have different meanings to different things, though.” As Dave was giving his answer, the thought popped into my head as to how raw those emotions can be when pouring your heart out into a song. I asked him if it’s difficult to open one’s heart up in a song for the world to see. “You know what? My favorite artists always did that. They always poured their souls into their music. That, to me, is what made them so powerful. That was the connection. They shared something – some human emotion that they went through that was very powerful – that we all felt. I’m always driven to do that. “That’s not to say that I don’t ‘craft’ songs. Doing Hard Time, for example, I kinda crafted. I mean, I don’t aspire to be in jail! Ha! Ha! It’s a funny song. It’s also a part of me that likes to have fun and silly with my songs. Like Bad Hair Day – a silly song. On my last CD I have a song called Big Fat Ludus. It’s a song about nothing. It’s about silliness. I think that’s important, too. There are many different facets to who I am as a person and I don’t mind barring my soul. I have a song called Rabbi Blues. I grew up as a Jewish boy in New York so I had to do a little dig at my heritage – but in a fun way! It goes both ways. “Same Old Me is another personal song. It’s about my dad. I’m definitely barring my soul on that one. I think it’s more powerful. I want to connect with people on that level, if that makes any sense.” As for touring in support of the album, Fields said, “Right now, because the CD just came out, we’re working on doing an east coast tour. We’ve got a bunch of places lined up that are in the works right now that are coming down for the east coast. I’m also working on a Midwest tour which will probably be Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois at this point. We’re still working it all out. Oh, and I’m going to Norway in two weeks! I’ll be there from the 16th through the 30th of October and it will be my fifth time going back there. That’s really exciting. The crowds are there amazing! Norway is such a beautiful country. Everybody speaks English, which is wonderful for me. They love American music. They grew up listening to American music. When they actually get to hear a real American playing American music, it’s a big thing for them. I’ve got a great following there and it’s been a blessing to be able to connect with them. I love my Norwegian friends! I feel blessed. What can I say?” While listening to Detonation, it was pretty easy for me to pick out some of Dave’s musical influences in his music. However, I asked him to share with who those musical influences were and are. “There are so many. My gosh! As a kid, the first thing I loved was ‘50’s rock and roll. I loved Chuck Berry. I loved Fats Domino. I loved Jerry Lee Lewis. I loved Elvis Presley. My dad is a noted composer/arranger/producer here in Manhattan and he’s a virtuoso piano player. He started playing this kind of New Orleans thing on piano once. It was a boogie-woogie kind of New Orleans thing. When I heard that I went wild. It was like, ‘Oh, my god! I love this!’ From there it grew into blues. “You know, early rock and roll is blues as far as I’m concerned. As I listened to more and more and more of it, I asked my dad, ‘Who’s the best guitar player in the world?’ ‘Well, some people say Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix.’ I started listening to them and I was, like, wow! I love the British rock guys. You can really hear Jimi Hendrix a lot on the CD. I was exposed to so many different kinds of music. Growing up in New York City, it’s a melting pot of music, as well, besides cultures. I listened to everybody from Roy Clark to George Benson to Alan Hallsworth to so many people – James Taylor to funk guys. I just tried to take it all in. “I also studied piano. Piano was my first instrument. There are a lot of musical influences that go with my guitar playing that had nothing to do with guitar. They’re just musical influences. I used to listen to John Coltrane, the famous sax player. I used to listen to Charlie Parker. Lee Allen, one of my favorite horn players. “Lately, I’ve been on this Chopin kick, believe it or not. Yeah! I just love Frederic Chopin! What can I say? My musical listening is so diverse. The thing is for me – the key component on everything I listen to, to me, I just like it to be real. I don’t like people lying to me or trying to take me out with their music – which happens with a lot of pop music or a lot of artists who are trying to sound like somebody else. We all have our influences but – it’s just about the sincerity. That’s the thing I judge it by.” Dave Fields has jammed with some pretty impressive people. I asked the guitar virtuoso who he hasn’t worked or played with that are on his dream list of people to work or play with. “Growing up in New York City and listening to a lot of jazz – it was something I was exposed to. I always wanted to play with Randy Brecker. He passed away a couple of years ago. I always wanted to play with Miles Davis. He’s passed away. “People who are alive now who I would like to collaborate with – gosh, there are so many! Gosh! Eric Clapton. There are tons of blues rock people who are friends who I would still like to continue collaborate with. I got to collaborate with Joe Lewis Walker on my CD. I did that duet with him. That was amazing.” The first guitar a guitarist owns is never forgotten. I asked Dave what his first guitar was and if he still owns it. “Great question! The first guitar I ever owned was a cheap K-Mart guitar. I don’t even remember the name of it. It self-destructed after a week. Literally, it did! After that, I used to borrow my friends guitars. In fact, I was playing piano at the time, still. I’d be playing piano in the band and dream about playing guitar. I’d like, ‘Hey, let me borrow your guitar for a second’ and I’d noodle around on it. The first guitar after that was a Sekova = a Korean guitar. It was a Les Paul copy. I had no money. I was the son of a single musician parent. I begged my dad to buy me a guitar. Finally, a year later he took me to a music store and I bought a white Les Paul – which I still have – and Les Paul wound up signing it. So my first real guitar was a white Les Paul. I don’t remember the year of it off the top of my head.” And how did Fields wind up playing a Fender? “Well, I’ll tell you, first of all, most Les Paul’s are too heavy for me. I just can’t deal with how heavy they are. As I explored other guitars there were things I liked about the Strats. What I’ve come to now is I’ve decided that I don’t even want to buy a guitar off the shelf. I’ve just been playing custom guitars because I know exactly what I want in guitars. “Basically, with the guitar I’m playing now – which is on the cover of Detonation – is a Fender style guitar. However, it’s kind of a hybrid between a Gibson and a Strat – a Fender. For example, the body is mahogany and maple, just like a Les Paul – like a maple top Les Paul. And even though the neck is solid maple like a Strat, it feels like a Gibson because it has a flat radius which means there’s no curve to the fret board. It’s completely flat which, is something that Fender doesn’t do. It’s something that I always liked. That’s what I loved about Gibson and it’s a really thin neck – like an old Stratocaster. So it’s really a hybrid of both things. “I always tinker with my guitars and my amps. It took me all this time to finally realize this is exactly how I always want my guitars all be. Warmuth made the body, which is a custom shop out of Oregon and this company called ‘Musikraft’ in New Jersey built the neck for me. They’re building me another one, I liked it that much. I’ve got to have two of everything in case something breaks, unfortunately.” When I asked Fields how many guitars he owned, I was a little surprised by the answer he gave me. “Let me clarify this by saying I play electric guitar, acoustic guitar, a little bit of classical guitar, mandolin, pedal steel, ukulele, banjo, lap steel, and bass as well as upright bass. So, I have a lot of stringed instruments and living in an apartment in New York City, I’ve got a have storage space filled with them! But I have close to thirty if not more. But, truthfully, I’m really considering selling all my guitars I don’t play anymore because I really just want to play my custom guitars because I know what I want and the other ones I can’t play anymore. They just don’t feel right to me.” Every serious guitarist has an idea of what they consider the holy grail of guitars to be. Dave Fields is no different. “Yeah, there is a holy grail of guitars I’d like to own. It would be one I would like to build to my specifications. It would be a one piece maple neck Strat – with super jumbo frets, flat radius, and the body would be chambered mahogany – which means that they put holes in it so that it’s lighter – with quilted maple and would want it painted either a blue jean dye or if they could do a gold dye with gold glitter in it. I would deck it out with all the pick-ups I would want in it. It would only run me $1,500 – that’s it!” As for what’s on the docket for the next year and planned for the next five years, Dave shared, “As I said before, I’m going to Norway in two weeks. Between now and then I’ve got a bunch of dates here in the New York City area that I’m playing – like in New Jersey, here in the city and Westchester. Next year we’re doing a tour through the east coast. I’m scheduled to do a couple of festivals next year. “My five year plan is to connect with so many people. One thing that I love about being a musician is the opportunity to meet so many amazing people who love music. I get to see them, help them put a smile on their face and make them feel better. It’s really rewarding for me to entertain people. There’s nothing more exciting and more fun for me than to strap on my guitar, plug into the amp and just play for people. I get so worked up and fired up!” Wrapping up our chat, I asked Mr. Fields to think ahead to when he’s stepped off the stage for the final time and has gone to that great gig in the sky. What does he hope that his legacy will be and how does he want to be remembered? “I would like to be remembered as somebody who brought joy to this world and made people feel good – feel happy; brought happiness to people. I hope that my music touched and made their life better or made them not feel alone in this world.”

THE DIRTY LOWDOWN BLOGSPOT October 4, 2012 http://the-dirty-lowdown.blogspot.com/2012/10/album-review-detonation-by-dave-fields.html Every few years a new crop of Blues Rock guitarists appear on the scene, oozing out of garages, barrooms and off of street corners where the neighborhood watch committee finally got street light erected. It started in the ‘60s, really, with Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and then the Americans, Mike Bloomfield, Ry Cooder, Johnny Winter. The 70s gave us Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Santana, Duane Allman, the 80s Mark Knopfler and so on. Kenny Wayne Shepard, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and many more have come on the scene since. It’s an attractive niche to try and fit into. It has so much room to shine. And it is easy to fail; get lost in the crowd. There’s the whole “cross roads” myth about having to sell your soul to really be granted that extra something that it takes to be the next Jimi Hendrix, the next Robert Johnson. Dave Fields is in the new crop and he just may have it. Hi third album, Detonation, explodes with a harder rocking sound drenched in many a variety of styles touching on classic rock , jazz-blues and reggae mixed in with a blast of blinding blues that pays tribute, most notably to Beck and Hendrix with nods to Buddy Guy (especially in those passages where the notes fly off his ax like shrapnel in the middle of soulful songs). Fields explores 1960s psychedelia on “Prophet in Disguise,” a melodic track with an Eastern-influenced guitar lick that is more David Gilmour than George Harrison. Track three is a favorite. “Doin Hard Time,” is slow, smoldering blues duet with Grammy Award Winning blues singer and guitarist, Joe Louis Walker that works very well. Track five is a fun song, “Bad Hair Day,” is an interesting mix of reggae and the blues, vowing not to let his hair get him down.From the first notes of the opening song, “Addicted To Your Fire” (which you’d have to be blind or deaf not to recognize Hendrix “Stand Next To You Fire” in) it is apparent that he is setting the bar at Jimi height. On “Better Be Good” you can hear him channeling SRV to good effect. It delivers some social commentary and his guitar is at the best here as he pulls everything out of his bag of tricks. The purest blues tune on the album is probably “Pocket Full Of Dust”, The guitar attacks and it stings. It’s soaked in blues soul ala Buddy Guy and the great Chicago stylists. The organ of Vladimir Barsky works well behind his guitar explosions and drummer Kenny Soule and bassist Andy Huenerberg round out his band quite well. Detonation is produced by David Z (Prince, Johnny Lang, Etta James, Buddy Guy) and is a 12-song exploration of Fields’ electrifying guitar prowess. This album has the feel of Fields stepping out of the pure blues spot light and expanding his sound into more rock, but he never, like all the greats before him, completely abandons the blues, instead he has absorbed them and is ready to let the blues be his foundation for what he creates from here on out.

MUSIC STREET JOURNAL http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=103625 Dave Fields Detonation Review by G. W. Hill This thing really rocks. Dave Fields is a bluesy rocker, to nail him in a short description, but he’s a lot more, too. There’s some psychedelia along with hard classic rock like Hendrix and Deep Purple. However you describe the mix of sounds, though, this is a killer disc that’s likely to make my best of 2012 list. Track by Track Review Addicted To Your Fire The blues guitar fires out from the onset. When the rhythm section comes in, it almost feels like a cross between Hendrix’ Experience and Stevie Ray Vaughn, but the vocals are more pure rock and roll. It’s killer blues rock that’s classic and very tasty. The instrumental break surely brings in a lot more of those Hendrix references, but the organ solo calls to mind Deep Purple. The guitar soloing is incendiary and magic. This is classic rock at its best. It feels familiar yet fresh. In The Night We get a ton of psychedelia on the introduction to this. It eventually settles into another blues based hard rocking jam that’s very tasty and very classic. There are some bits of female vocals sprinkled on this one and it’s another killer. While it feels like it belongs with the other one, it’s certainly another side of the coin. Doin’ Hard Time (feat. Joe Louis Walker) While this number is more along the lines of pure blues (think Buddy Guy) there’s still plenty of rock in the mix. It’s got some smoking hot guitar work and is another winner on a smoking hot disc. Prophet In Disguise A short noisy introduction reinforces that Hendrix comparison. Then percussion takes the piece and it feels very psychedelic as the other instruments join. When it drops back for the vocals, though, this feels very much like a melodic classic rock. Free is probably a pretty good comparison. More of that Hendrix-like guitar returns for the instrumental section later in the piece, but after that it works out to a more modern rock sounding arrangement. That said, there’s still plenty of classic rock in that mix of sounds. Bad Hair Day (feat. Delmar Brown) There’s a lot of reggae on this, but it also has some sections that are pretty much pure mellow blues. This thing is a great combination of sounds and shows yet another side of this killer artist and album. The Altar With more of a modern bent to it, this is a hard rocking tune that’s accessible and very tasty. I really like it a lot. There are quite a few changes as this thing continues and some of them are a little strange, but in the best psychedelic rock meets prog rock way. This thing is both modern and classic and it’s got some more of that killer guitar work. It’s one of the most unusual and intriguing pieces on show. Better Be Good While this beast rocks out, it’s mellower than some of the other stuff here. It’s also probably more closely tied to the sound of Stevie Ray Vaughn than anything else on the set. That said, this is far from a carbon copy. It’s certainly got Field’s unique soundstamp all over it. It is also one of my favorite pieces on the disc. Considering the quality of everything here, that says a lot. Same Old Me In a lot of ways this is the most modern, alternative rock based tune of the whole album. It’s still got plenty of the old faithful sounds within it, but it’s almost progressive rock in a lot of ways. Mind you, that’s a modern prog versus the classic genre. Pocket Full Of Dust A more pure blues number, this is classic and very emotional. The guitar truly drives this beast, but the vocals give it a run for its money. While a lot of this is mellow, it gets fiery when it needs to. Besides that, the vocals purely scream out their pain over the top of the laid back backdrop at times. This one stands beside the blues greats like B.B. King. Yes, it’s that good. Dr Ron The opening section here has some smoking hot blues rock. From there, though, it works out to more of a rock groove that’s got both alternative rock and classic stylings, along with plenty of blues, in the mix. There’s more of a pure blues jam at the end. Lydia This beginning of this song reminds me of Jimi Hendrix’ “Waterfall” with a lot of Robin Trower in the mix. As it continues it works out to a rocking blues jam that’s quite tasty and a real screamer. There are a number of changes and shifts and at times it comes quite close to progressive rock. You Will Remember Me This power ballad has plenty of classic rock and blues in the mix, but the vocals even bring some country rock to the table. It rocks out a bit more later in the tune.

LA BEAT Los Angeles, CA September 26, 2012 by Shirley Pena http://thelosangelesbeat.com/2012/09/detonation-of-the-bluesan-interview-with-dave-fields-part-1/ ‘Detonation’ of the Blues: An Interview with Dave Fields Part 1 “One of the things I tell myself when I wake up in the morning is ‘What exciting things can I do today? What exciting music can I hear today? What exciting music can I write today?’ It’s innately in my character to constantly challenge myself that way.”-Dave Fields Some artists are said to have music in their blood, while others are said to have music in their genes. In the case of guitarist/composer/arranger/producer Dave Fields he can honestly be said to possess both. Fascinated with music from an early age, Dave Fields as a small child studied piano, then later began the serious study of composition, arrangement and production from his father: the legendary Sammy Fields. World-famous as a composer/arranger/producer of great American standards (as well as for his collaboration with fabled lyricist Sammy Cahn) Sammy Fields taught his baby boy well. Dave Fields absorbed all his father taught him like a sponge. Discovering a love for the guitar in his early teens, Dave was soon playing on sessions with his father, and wrote his very first score for Big Band music at only 16. Through his father, Dave was exposed to many of America’s top composers, arrangers and session musicians, all of which contributed to Dave’s ever-increasing prowess in those musical disciplines. After graduating from high school, Dave attended the world famous Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he studied arrangement, composition and performance. After completing college, Dave found himself back in New York working at these crafts for Independent record labels as well as playing on studio recordings as a ‘first-call’ guitarist/instrumentalist with the likes of GRP productions and the late, great Ahmet Ertegen. Today, Dave enjoys world renown for his important body of work in radio, television, films and Broadway. He was the writer/director for the New Voices of Freedom, seen performing with U2 in the film ‘Rattle and Hum’ and his film credits in music include the film ‘Secretary’ and the cast album of the Broadway hit ‘Bright Lights, Big City.’ His television music credits include work for The Learning Channel, Comedy Central and the nationally syndicated radio program ‘Fun Factory.’ Here’s a look at some of Dave’s working CREDITS. Dave Fields also enjoys a high reputation among his peers, having worked with many legends including Tommy James, The Drifters and Aretha Franklin. In 1996, Dave’s FIELDS MUSIC (founded in 1996) which focuses on film, television, industrial and interactive, along with recording and production of the FIELDS MUSIC LIBRARY. Fields Music The Los Angeles Beat sat down with Dave Fields, taking a break from his successful East Coast tour, to discuss his family’s musical legacy and how Dave has taken that legacy to new heights with his own impressive work: I knew your father…although not personally…Sammy Fields! Your dad was a legend; he worked with the best in Pop music! Right off the top of my head I remember that one of the artists he worked with was the great Sammy Cahn. He worked with the best! He worked with so many people! One of the things I love to do is interview artists who are ‘carrying the torch’ so to speak to the next generation; bringing a level of artistic brilliance from one generation to the next one. God, I love that! That’s so funny you put it that way, because I always describe it as that: a ‘torch.’ Both my grandfathers were musicians too. My mom’s father was a reed player who had a music store in Staten Island and that’s how my dad met my mom. My dad came to New York and he taught in a music school and he fell in love with my mom and they got married. My mom’s mother was a professional dancer and had a dance school. My grandfather was a music teacher and my grandmother was a dance teacher, so it was like a ‘curse’: I had to be in the entertainment business! It’s what my genes are! You know my dad changed his name: Sammy ‘Forever’ Fields. He joined a cult in Yelm, Washington (state); moved away from the East Coast and moved to Washington following J. D. Knight. It’s a long story, we’ll leave it at that, lol. It’s cool, whatever makes him happy. You know, that’s the lesson we learn with our folks: whatever makes ‘em happy. I used to know Hamilton Camp, and he went through much the same thing. One of the very last conversations I had with him-about a month before he died from a sudden heart attack-he was telling me: ” I’ve gone through my life and I keep changing myself and my name, but I feel like I’m a work in progress and my name reflects who I am!” It’s so funny you say that, because one of my favorite quotes-and I was looking for this because I need some inspiration-is from Winston Churchill: “To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change often.” It just seems to resonate as an artist. As an artist you’re like that surfer looking for that perfect wave. It’s so true! You constantly want to change and get better. Dave, let’s jump right into talking about your new album ‘Detonation.’ You have been quoted as saying: “The first two albums are contemporary blues rock. This one is definitely more rock than blues.” This latest CD showcases more than just the ‘blues’ side of Dave Fields. Growing up in New York City I was exposed to so many different kinds of music, with the blues being everything I loved. But you know, it’s like I’ve always been steering my career. From the first CD I released (‘Time’s a Wastin’) to ‘All Wound Up’ it got a little more rock. This CD is a lot more rock! It’s always been going in that rock/jam band/blues kind of vein…with a little jazz in there too. I can’t see myself getting tied down to just one style of music because it’s all who I am; I’m more than just the blues! I’ve always wanted to do a CD like this, and I was really excited to be able to work with David Z, and my manager gave me the opportunity to do this. It’s so exciting! Your new album has been described as a “definite nod towards Fields’ two major influences: Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix.” Would you say that is an accurate assessment? Of course! I admit it. This CD is kind of…I reveal my ‘inner Hendrix’ for lack of a better term. Jimi Hendrix was my…one of my biggest guitar influences from the moment I heard him play. Still today, when I listen to Jimi’s music I discover little things about it, especially in the heart; the way I hear it as a kid. Jimi was such a spiritual person. This may sound nuts, but at times when I play, I feel like he is talking to me! He tells me: “Don’t emulate me. Be yourself!” I don’t wanna play like Jimi Hendrix, but he just inspires me and so many people. I have friends who knew him, and they say he was just the most gentle, loving soul! Jeff Beck to me: WOW! He just gets better; as he gets older he gets better. One day I gotta meet him! I’ve seen him on the street in New York, just walking down the street. I just wanna walk up to him and say “Excuse me Mr. Beck…” You should! (Laughs) I should, the next time I see him! I hear that he’s a really shy guy, but I’d just like…the guy is a GENIUS! There’s so many great guitar players who are geniuses, but I feel like in some ways our careers have traveled in parallel paths. It’s weird. I heard an interview with him, and he listened to a lot of the same things I’ve listened to and I can hear it. He experiments with guitar the same way I do. So there is something in his soul that’s similar to mine…or mine like his, as I should say. We’re kindred spirits, and we don’t even know each other!

SUNHERALD.COM Biloxi, MS http://www.sunherald.com/2012/09/20/4199043/another-metal-anniversary-a-new.html September 21, 2012 ‘Detonation, Dave Fields (Field of Roses Records, ****) This Sept. 18 CD is the latest from New York guitarist/singer/songwriter Dave Fields and his band (bassist Andy Huenerberg, keyboardist Vladimir Barsky and drummer Kenny Soule). Fields has chosen to make this album more rock-oriented than his previous two releases in the manner of his major influences, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck; and has enlisted top-notch producer David Z (Prince, Johnny Lang) along with several guest stars. This album has moments that exhibit Dave’s Hendrix habit, like parts of the instrumental “Lydia,” my favorite tune. Other highlights include the old-fashioned “Doin’ Hard Time” (with Joe Louis Walker), the nifty “Prophet in Disguise” with its Jimi-esque riff and solos, the “I Don’t Live Today” feel of “The Altar” solo section and the lengthy, tempo-shifting “Pocket Full of Dust.” Blues, Jimi and Jeff fans will really dig this album. By Ricky Flake, a former punk rocker and current music fan, lives in Biloxi.

My Global Mind DETONATION REVIEW http://myglobalmind.com/2012/09/12/dave-fields-detonation-review/ Dave Fields music came my way through some of my contacts in the industry, a simple “yes I also enjoy blues/rock music” answer from me and this promo came to us here at MGM. The last Blues record I personally reviewed was the great album by legendary blues rock musician Walter Trout, and it was a good one indeed. I have not only respect for this genre that to this day is not a relic, but a way of understanding the history of Rock music in general and how it came to be. So if you happen to be reading this article and you’re an inspiring blues/rock artists please feel free to let us know and consider your music because we do have an awful lost of respect for it. Dave Fields is a talented guitar player and songwriting talent hailing from NYC and if you read up on some of the feedback from other respected musicians in the same genre, you know the guy has all the right tools to leave an impact. Personally I had never heard of his past works but his new album is titled “DETONATION produced by legendary Grammy winning producer David Z (Prince, Government Mule and Johnny Lang”. The record was recorded live in the studio so it brings an honest live studio recording environment with minimal fixes and dubs. His style has been compared to many greats of the genre, but it’s he’s unique smooth vocals that add an extra layer of distinction to his style. When you pop the CD in you get flashes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Hendrix like licks but it’s not fair to compare as we all know each artist strides to create something unique not a clone. The record opens up with “Addicted To Your Fire” which is a prime blues/rock cut inspired by two of the names we mentioned earlier. The needy gritty swoosh of “Doin’ Hard Time” is another heart breaker which features a dirt shattering lick, Dave’s vocals here are solid and he’s guitar vibrant. “Bad Hair Day” has a reggae mix southern rock blues styling, which also features New York City world music star Delmar Brown guesting on vocals, an interesting contemporary vibe that manages to sound good and modern. I always enjoy a blues track when it sucks you in, grinding and mellow before you know the guitars step in to sweep you in and make you feel the pain that this instrument can translate through it’s chords, well on “Pocket Full Of Dust” you are witness to this process, a great song with plenty of emotional feel and artistic climb. A strong effort that deserves your attention if you’re a blues fan, pretty solid production value and you get 12 meaningful songs that give the listener a pretty good landscape view of Dave Fields the musician. Dave also owns Fields Music (FMI) which produces original music for custom jingles for commercials, TV and film score and interactive media among other avenues to show his creative talent. Don’t be scare to explore different genres even if Blues/Rock is not your thing, one thing that I know for sure and that is Dave Fields is a guy worthy of any blues fan attention and that you can take to the bank. Written by Denys

http://www.boomerocity.com/detonationreview.html “Detonation” Boomerocity Review Dave Fields Label: Fields of Roses Records Release: September 18, 2012 Reviewed: September 16, 2012 By Randy Patterson I’ve only recently become aware of Dave Fields’s work and my first gut reaction was, “Why am I always late to the party?” After that, my reaction was, “I really love this guy’s work!” After listening to Fields’ new CD, Detonation, I immediately heard influences of Hendrix, Beck and Vaughn but in totally new and unique ways. After you’ve listened to the disc, I’m sure that you’ll react the same way. Expanding upon the premise of his two earlier blues-rock albums (2007’s Time’s A ‘Wastin’ and All Wound Up from 2008), Detonation, Fields tips his musical hat to his two major influences (the aforementioned Hendrix and Beck) and infuses a more rock-oriented approach while remaining true to his blues roots. Produced by David Z (whose credits include work with Prince, Johnny Lang, Etta James and Buddy Guy), Detonation is a 12-song discovery of Fields’ incredible talent and diversity on the guitar. Fields joined by his touring band of Andy Huenerberg on bass, Vladimir Barsky on keys, and drummer Kenny Soule. In scoping out some performance video on YouTube, it’s clear that this band is a tight, well-oiled music making machine that is a blast to catch live – which I definitely hope to do. Three randomly chosen Boomerocity favorites from Detonation are: The very Hendrixy Prophets In Disguise is a song that the great Jimi Hendrix would’ve have wrote had he been alive today. One can only imagine what this song would be like with Fields and Hendrix playing off of each other on stage with this song. In the spirit of Are You Experienced, this song is worthy of unlimited slaps of the repeat button. Same Old Me is an incredibly well written love song about change and facing the reality and possibility of having to possibly go separate ways. It’s a great love song that will resonate with those who relate to what Fields pours out of his heart. Heavy laden with incredible, dripping blues, Pocket Full of Dust would have to be THE Boomerocity favorite from this album. It’s easy to imagine how this tune will go over with a live audience. If you’re into blues and good rock and roll, then Detonation is a must-have album to add to your listening library. Once you have it, you’ll be a Dave Fields fan for life.

Blogcritics Music September 10, 2012 http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-dave-fields-detonation/ Music Review: Dave Fields- Detonation When I get a new release to review where the lead performer is billed as a “contemporary blues/rock guitarist/singer/songwriter,” I get nervous. Whether I like the album or not, I know I’ll be straining and stretching to find fresh adjectives and new ways to describe the artist that will distinguish them from all the other contemporary blues rock guitarists out there who sing and write their own material. Then again, this is a genre I can’t get enough of. Produced by David Z, Detonation isn’t Dave Fields’ debut collection. Time’s A Wastin (2007) andAll Wound Up (2008) contained singles like “Still Itchin’” and “Train To My Heart,” the latter a tune John Mayall recorded on his 2009 Tough. Despite being completely ignorant of these discs, I can easily say I liked Dave Fields’ Detonation from the first notes of the opening track, “Addicted to Fire.” It reminded me a bit of Sly and the Family Stone if Jimi Hendrix had been their axeman. Now, that’s the first pitfall for a reviewer, comparing and contrasting new folks—at least new to me—with the names of those who readers are likely to be familiar with. But it’s not hard to think of Hendrix when hearing Fields bending, twisting, phasing, crunching, wah-wahing, drawing every note out, rather than simply playing fluid, linear solos. And he does all that in nearly every song. As Detonation progressed, I kept thinking more and more that Fields is in the direct lineage of Stevie Ray Vaughn. For one matter, his supporting band sounds eerily like Double Trouble with the group consisting of Andy Huenerberg (bass), Kenny Soule (drums), and Vladimir Barsky (keyboards). Barsky, in particular, really fills the space around Fields, and the rhythm section provides the drive, allowing the front man to take off on his flights and jams. This is especially true of hard rockin’ blues numbers like “Doin Hard Time” and the traditional slow blues on “Pocket Full Of Dust.” To be clear, my comparisons to Vaughn refer to the musicianship and not the vocals. This isn’t to say Fields is in any way deficient in that department, but rather that his usually raspy voice isn’t reminiscent of anyone in particular, at least any singer that springs to my mind. Beyond the blues tradition, many of the songs evoke completely different musical forbearers. The slow proclamation about freeing your mind, “Prophet In Disguise,” is very, very Hendrix and a real flashback to the late ‘60s. The humorous “Bad Hair Day” is funky reggae and “Same Old Me” is a slow ballad in the mold of Journey, Kansas, or Styx with a smoother vocal delivery than Fields’ rougher tunes. The instrumental “Lydia” has touches of Jimmy Page, one of Field’s admitted influences. The album concludes with the very poppy “You Will Remember Me,” which might earn airplay on stations that don’t emphasize the pure blues. In short, Detonation offers a wide palate of electric music, with the only real consistency being Fields virtuosity on his axe. The guitar, after all, is the topic he refers to most frequently throughout the lyrics of his songs. In the end, I wouldn’t describe him as blues rock—I’d say rock blues. However one tips the formula, it’s an energetic program by a man so clearly in love with his music. While I’m behind the curve discovering Dave Fields, I hope Detonation is typical of his earlier work. I see I have some catching up to do. That is, after playing Detonation again and a bit louder. I hope Stevie Ray will forgive me. I suspect, if he was still with us, he’d get “Addicted to Fire” as well.

Where Blues Thrives DETONATION CD REVIEWS http://www.bmansbluesreport.com/ Charles LoBue Field Of Roses artist: Dave Fields – Detonation – New Release Review I just received the newest cd, Detonation, from Dave Fields. Fields has assembled 12 strong blues rock oriented tracks, all with a different twist from Reggae to straight Blues. The cd opens with Addicted To Your Fire, a a rocker with somewhat of an arena style. In The Night takes it to the next step with a funky beat and some pretty tasty guitar riffs. Doin’ Hard Times opens with some fiery riffs and features Joe Louis Walker. This track has some more contemporary blues lines and features some real sweet guitar soloing. Bad Hair Day gets a real serious reggae beat and Fields really digs in for some hot riffs on this track. The Alter, again a more contemporary use of music with blues roots features some fiery guitar riffs. Better Be Good takes the blues from a swing jazz direction for a pretty cool track. Fields again shows he has the chops and can make is guitar talk big time. Pocket Full Of Dust hits dead center with an Albert King/Otis Rush/Big Mamma Thornton style blues track.This is my favorite track on the cd…and yeah… I caught that timing change not unlike BB King does on The Thrill Is Gone…very nice. Dr. Ron takes more of an Eric Gales / Trower/ Hendrix attack on a track and it’s pretty cool. No question this guy can play. Lydia is an interesting track with guitar subtones and more of an interpretive progressive approach to music without losing it’s rock edge. Actually very cool. The recording completes with You Will Remember Me, a Ryan Adams like ballad with crisp guitar riffs. Overall Fields has put together a pretty interesting recording for those looking for guitar rock music with a bluesy edge.

DETONATION BLUESROCK REVIEW August 2nd, 2012 Dave Fields: Detonation Review Dave Fields is a different kind of bluesman. Sure, he’s got some serious blues credentials, he’s played with Hubert Sumlin and John Mayall recorded one of his songs. But there’s more to this blues renaissance man and one listen to his latest release Detonation and that becomes abudantly clear. He can channel Albert King, Eddie Hazel, and Ace Frehley and be comfortable with all three. The album opens with a rock song “Addicted To Your Fire,” that features some nice licks throughout. The next song “In The Night,” is a tune reminiscent of early Funkadelic with solid guitar playing and a funky vibe to it. “Bad Hair Day,” is a nice reggae tune with Fields taking his playing to another level. Tracks like: “Doin’ Hard Times,” and “The Alter,” have more of a modern feel to them. He goes in yet another direction on “Better Be Good,” a neat track that sounds like some old-fashioned swing-jazz with a blues flavor. “Dr Ron,” is a hard-driving song that just cooks. The best track is “Pocket Full of Dust,” this one screams 60s blues and would fit perfectly in the canon of Albert King or Otis Rush. It is quite obvious that Dave Fields is unique with his playing these days. He has created quite an album with something for everybody. There is a lot of straight blues and just as much of everything else on Detonation. If you like blues, funk, hard rock, contemporary rock, or jazz, you can find something you’ll like on Detonation. The Review: 8/10 Can’t Miss Tracks – In The Night - Bad Hair Day - Better Be Good - Pocket Full of Dust The Big Hit – Pocket Full of Dust Review by Charles Dumez http://bluesrockreview.com/2012/08/dave-fields-detonation-review.html

Bluesman’s New LP Some Of His Best Yet Posted on August 22, 2012 Courtesy: Field of Roses Records Guitarist Dave Fields’ new record, “Detonation”, is a good listen for any fan of the blues or just generally enjoyable music. On his third release—due out Tuesday, September 18th–Fields has decided to branch out more from his blues roots, and try his hand at something more experimental. That experiment has produced some very good musical fruit, so to speak. While “Detonation” does still have elements of Fields’ previous blues heavy records, it also goes in a little more mainstream direction, showing even more of his ability and talent. The music isn’t all that makes this album a success. “Detonation” also succeeds because of the album’s packaging. Rather than using the standard plastic casing, he has opted for a much easier way to contain the disc. And making the song lyrics part of the packaging only adds to the overall success of this album, making it a release that his fans new and old will enjoy with each listen. Fields is said to channel his “inner Hendrix” in the album’s opener, ‘Addicted To Your Fire.’ But a closer listen makes this song much more comparable to the likes of fellow guitar legend, Stevie Ray Vaughan. That’s not to say that there isn’t at least some Hendrix influence there, too. Regardless, the energy of the song does a good job mirroring the song’s lyrical content. Fields sings on this song, “I’m addicted to your fire/Need to feel all your attraction/Got that 9-1-1 attraction/Your passion is like a nuclear reaction.” That chorus conjures images of two people getting down, dancing, sweat pouring over each of them, the shared energy and feelings obvious as they dance. That’s the clean version of course. The music helps to enhance that image too, making it that much clearer. ‘In The Night’ is a little bit slower, but still just as funky. It almost sort of picks up where ‘Addicted To Your Fire’ leaves off. He sings about something a little more than a couple just meeting and feeling some sparks to say the least. He sings, ‘Gonna make it right/and make it new/Won’t stop ‘til the sun comes up/There’s nothing that can hold back love/When angels fly on the wings of a dove.” It’s pretty obvious what he means with this. Fields has some really good bluesy material on this new LP. But what makes it worth the listen isn’t just the blues songs included in the sequencing. Fields branches out on this album. And fans will love it, too. He gets in a Bob Marley style song in ‘Bad Hair Day.’ The irony of the song is as much as it jams, it’s still very much a blues song. He sings literally about a bad hair day. He sings, “When the sun won’t shine/When I feel like I’m/Going out of my mind/There’s nothing really worse than a/Bad Hair Day/Bad Hair Day.” Yes, it seems silly for a song topic. But somehow he makes it work for what is one of the standout songs on “Detonation.” “Detonation” has lots of good music for Fields’ fans throughout. There’s a little bit of a rock feel, along with plenty of old school twelve bar blues pieces, and other styles, too. It all combines to make for a good multi-purpose record that can be enjoyed any time of the year. The music isn’t all that makes this a good record, though. That each song’s lyrics would be included in the “case” itself is another positive. Instead of making listeners have to thumb through a booklet, the lyrics are right there for listeners. This might come across as a minor factor in the overall effect of an album. But for those wanting the full effect of an artist’s music, this is a very good addition. It all combines to make for an album that any true music lover will want to check out. To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page,http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog athttp://philspicks.wordpress.com.

http://www2.wnct.com/blogs/reel-reviews/2012/aug/23/bluesmans-new-lp-some-his-best-yet-ar-2542079/ Bluesman’s New LP Some Of His Best Yet By: Phillip Sayblack Good morning, everyone. I hope your day is going well. I’ve got one more new review to share with you before I head out for the day, and get to work on stuff for tomorrow. This morning’s last review is for all the blues fans out there. If this is something that interests you, and you think others might be interested, I encourage you to share it with them, too. This morning, I’ve got a review of the third new release from bluesman Dave Fields. Fields’ new album, “Detonation” hits stores Tuesday, September 18th. While this new album carries some of the sound from his previous two albums, it also has some different and interesting sounds, including a Bob Marley style song mixed in with the standard twelve bar blues and more rock oriented pieces. Add in a guest spot by fellow bluesman Joe Louis Walker, and smart packaging, and audiences get a record that any blues fan should listen to at least once. Guitarist Dave Fields’ new record, “Detonation”, is a good listen for any fan of the blues or just generally enjoyable music. On his third release—due out Tuesday, September 18th–Fields has decided to branch out more from his blues roots, and try his hand at something more experimental. That experiment has produced some very good musical fruit, so to speak. While “Detonation” does still have elements of Fields’ previous blues heavy records, it also goes in a little more mainstream direction, showing even more of his ability and talent. The music isn’t all that makes this album a success. “Detonation” also succeeds because of the album’s packaging. Rather than using the standard plastic casing, he has opted for a much easier way to contain the disc. And making the song lyrics part of the packaging only adds to the overall success of this album, making it a release that his fans new and old will enjoy with each listen. Fields is said to channel his “inner Hendrix” in the album’s opener, ‘Addicted To Your Fire.’ But a closer listen makes this song much more comparable to the likes of fellow guitar legend, Stevie Ray Vaughan. That’s not to say that there isn’t at least some Hendrix influence there, too. Regardless, the energy of the song does a good job mirroring the song’s lyrical content. Fields sings on this song, “I’m addicted to your fire/Need to feel all your attraction/Got that 9-1-1 attraction/Your passion is like a nuclear reaction.” That chorus conjures images of two people getting down, dancing, sweat pouring over each of them, the shared energy and feelings obvious as they dance. That’s the clean version of course. The music helps to enhance that image too, making it that much clearer. ‘In The Night’ is a little bit slower, but still just as funky. It almost sort of picks up where ‘Addicted To Your Fire’ leaves off. He sings about something a little more than a couple just meeting and feeling some sparks to say the least. He sings, ‘Gonna make it right/and make it new/Won’t stop ‘til the sun comes up/There’s nothing that can hold back love/When angels fly on the wings of a dove.” It’s pretty obvious what he means with this. Fields has some really good bluesy material on this new LP. But what makes it worth the listen isn’t just the blues songs included in the sequencing. Fields branches out on this album. And fans will love it, too. He gets in a Bob Marley style song in ‘Bad Hair Day.’ The irony of the song is as much as it jams, it’s still very much a blues song. He sings literally about a bad hair day. He sings, “When the sun won’t shine/When I feel like I’m/Going out of my mind/There’s nothing really worse than a/Bad Hair Day/Bad Hair Day.” Yes, it seems silly for a song topic. But somehow he makes it work for what is one of the standout songs on “Detonation.” “Detonation” has lots of good music for Fields’ fans throughout. There’s a little bit of a rock feel, along with plenty of old school twelve bar blues pieces, and other styles, too. It all combines to make for a good multi-purpose record that can be enjoyed any time of the year. The music isn’t all that makes this a good record, though. That each song’s lyrics would be included in the “case” itself is another positive. Instead of making listeners have to thumb through a booklet, the lyrics are right there for listeners. This might come across as a minor factor in the overall effect of an album. But for those wanting the full effect of an artist’s music, this is a very good addition. It all combines to make for an album that any true music lover will want to check out. To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online tohttp://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page,http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141. Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com. — Philip Sayblack can be contacted at psayblack@wnct.com